30 Days
by Hermeown
Summary: “Sounds simple enough. We’ve done this before.” They've saved the world before, right? Of course!... But never when they had less than a month to either die or lose their powers. Rated M for strong language and some sexual themes. In beta.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

"_Dear Blossom,_

_I'm sorry that I'm not sending this message simply to contact you (although I miss you dearly). There are urgent matters we need to discuss. I will need to see you and your sisters here at home on March 12 at 5:00 P.M. _

_I will see you soon. I apologize again for making this urgent, and please excuse the brevity. _

_ Love,_

_Professor Utonium _

Blossom reread the letter again, as she sat on the edge of the tallest building in Townsville. She ran her fingers through her long, long red hair. It was wet and bit a tangled from the rainy post-winter weather. It was rather dark for the afternoon. Water ran down Blossom's face and into her bright pink eyes. Her long maroon raincoat was glittered with rain droplets, and her black flats were soaked through the material. As wet and cold as she was, her mind remained on the letter. _What's going on?_ She thought. Fear and worry had overwhelmed her, although her usual logical senses reined in most unreasonable thoughts.

Blossom wondered what could possibly be so urgent that the Professor, her father and creator, needed to see not only her, but her and both her sisters together. She had not seen the Professor, nor her sister Bubbles and Buttercup since they graduated from high school. The three girls could not stay together in Townsville forever. And no, they could not possibly continue fighting crime at home forever. They were young adults now, and needed to start their own lives.

After graduating valedictorian, Blossom went off to school at Harvard. Her natural intelligence, and years upon years of study had gotten her precisely what she wanted. She was now in her third year of pre-law, and was already by far going to receive _summa cum laude._ When she wasn't busy with school, she worked at the library as the assistant librarian, and made enough money to support a small studio apartment near campus. She spent her free time reading, going to local clubs with friends, and volunteering at the local YMCA.

Blossom placed the letter back into its envelope, and shoved the letter into her pocket. She needed to find her sisters. Without a second thought, she stood on the edge of the building and jumped. In a split second, she zoomed straight into the air, creating the old pink trail of light. She grinned, remembering how wonderful it was to fly. She was prohibited from flying at school, because _"Massachusetts has no need for a flying pink bug zipping around the sky scaring the living daylight out of people."_ Blossom rolled her eyes.

Bubbles lived in a small dormitory near Townsville Community College, and was a big animal rights activist. She worked at the animal shelter a few blocks down, and would be found in that general area. Blossom smiled to herself, thinking it was just like Bubbles to be a protestor. If she couldn't save all the animals herself, she was going to make sure she helped as much as she could.

Buttercup still had to fly in from New York, where she continued to fight crime as a city police officer. She would probably meet Blossom and Bubbles soon. Blossom laughed, thinking Buttercup probably had the same problem in the city as she did. If she simply couldn't fly in Massachusetts, surely Buttercup couldn't even reveal her super powers. _That must kill her_, Blossom thought.

A small lump found its way to Blossom's throat. Thinking about her sisters made her miss them… a lot. They were inseparable for years, and now they haven't seen each other in a long time. For whatever reason, nobody seemed to ever be able to meet for holidays or birthdays. They spoke to each other a lot over the phone, but it just wasn't the same. Blossom suddenly thought about the Professor, and it stung it more than anything. She hasn't even seen her _father figure_ in years. It was barely believable that she'd be seeing both her sisters and the Professor… together.

Blossom continued whipping through the air. Several citizens below pointed up at her and waved. _"Hi, Blossom!" _said a small voice, far below. Blossom grinned and waved back. She soon found herself hovering over the Community College campus. She looked around the area, and about a block away, she saw a small gathering of people. One person, a girl, stood on a small platform, holding up a large sign. The person had golden blonde hair, held up in two pigtails. Blossom chuckled.

"That's her…"

Blossom floated down to the ground, away from where the crowd could see her. She watched them, as the small crowd shouted and waved their picket signs. The girl on the platform was shouting at an amplified voice, without the aide of a blow horn.

"The Townsville Pound has been selling cats and dogs to labs, where the supposed scientists are torturing the poor creatures! They stick painful equipment in the animal's heads… They poison them with their perfumes and make-up… Join us! Send in a donation to help us change these injustices! Help out! Save the animals!"

Blossom stared at the girl on the platform. _Yep_, she decided. _Definitely Bubbles._ Bubbles had beautiful sky blue eyes, matched by her equally sky blue poncho. Her hair was drenched, parts falling into Bubbles eyes, but she didn't seem to care. Her determination glowed through her drippy appearance.

"Where's the petition!?" Blossom shouted. Bubbles turned and looked at her. Her eyes lit up.

"Oh my God! Blossom?!"

Bubbles tossed her sign aside and leapt off the platform. She zoomed straight forward and embraced her sister.

"I… I can't…" Bubbles spoke breathlessly. She glanced at the crowd of protestors. "I'm… a cause… the animals…"

"Seems like you've been busy," Blossom said. Bubbles nodded, looking back at the crowd again. She grinned.

"It makes me happy, knowing that I can do something," Bubbles said. Suddenly, her grin faltered. She turned back at Blossom.

"Did you get…" Her voice trailed off. At the same time, Blossom and Bubbles pulled out an envelope, both addressed from the Professor. Bubbles smiled weakly.

"You think Buttercup got one?" she asked.

"I imagine," Blossom replied.

The two stood there a moment. It was still a big surprise for both of them to see each other. The circumstances, however, was still questionable, and worried them. Bubbles shoved the letter back in her pocket.

"Do you wanna come to my place while we wait for Buttercup? I've been here for hours," Bubbles said. Blossom agreed, and Bubbles called back to a friend to take over the protest.

"Where do you live?" Blossom asked. Bubbles pointing to a small building about two blocks away. It had three stories, and the doors were all visible and accessible from outside. Bubbles then looked at Blossom, a small smile cracking over her face.

"Race?" she asked, a tiny glint shining in her eye. "Room 206. I know you can't fly at school. You still got it?"

Blossom eyed her, and grinned.

"You're on."

They looked at each other a second… _WHIZZ! _In less than five seconds, Bubbles and Blossom met at the front door of 206. They leaned against the door, trying to catch their breath.

"I think… I won…" Bubbles panted. Blossom shook her head.

"No…I think… I did…" Bubbles shook her head and opened her mouth—

"No, I'm pretty sure I did."

Out of nowhere, a young woman dropped right before Bubbles and Blossom. She had layered black hair, and electric green eyes. She wore a white tank top over a black one, and had a tight pair of jeans tucked into big, black combat boots. She was kept warm by a black leather trench coat, open to reveal the ensemble beneath. It was Buttercup.

"When did you get here?" Bubbles breathed.

"A little bit before you two decided to have a slowest race ever. I mean, seriously," Buttercup remarked. She stared at her sisters, expectantly. "Are we just going to stand here in the rain, or what?"

Bubbles caught her breath and threw herself at Buttercup. Buttercup awkwardly hugged her back, and smirked.

"You're going to have to not do that," she said. Bubbles shrugged.

"You're going to have to get used to it," she said. She pulled out her keys as Blossom stepped forward.

"You haven't changed a bit," she said, surveying Buttercup up and down.

"Your mane hasn't seemed to change, either," Buttercup laughed. Blossom rolled her eyes, and they embraced. Bubbles opened the door, and the three stepped inside. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

Bubbles dormitory was cozy, to say the least. It had only a living room, a small kitchen, and one door leading to a tiny bathroom. In the living room was a large queen-size bed, a small television on a two-shelf bookcase, and table with a few chairs. Clothes, books, and other things were strewn around the room. The kitchen had only a sink, two small countertops, a refrigerator, and a stove. Two yellow eyes were peaking from the cabinet above the counters.

"Bubbles, you have creatures in your kitchen," Buttercup said. Bubbles looked curiously in the direction Buttercup was facing, and smiled.

"That's only Boris," she said. She skipped into the kitchen and grabbed a small orange cat from the cabinet. It mewed as she brought him into the living room.

"Isn't he cute?" she cooed. He scrambled out of her arms, and hid under her bed. Bubbles sighed. "There isn't really anywhere to sit so… take a seat anywhere."

Buttercup hopped on the bed and laid back, as Blossom took a seat on one of the little folding chairs.

"A little small, don't you think, Bubbles?" Blossom asked. Bubbles took off her poncho and tossed it on the floor.

"I guess. I actually had a roommate once, but she got sick of it and left," Bubbles explained. She wrung out her pigtails, leaving two small wet spots on the carpet.

"I have tea," she mentioned. "I can make some."

"Hit me," Buttercup said, looking around the room. Blossom nodded, and Bubbles made her way back to the kitchen. She searched through the cabinets, pulling out various tea supplies. The girls remained silent as Bubbles put the kettle on, and put teabags in three different mugs. Blossom sighed.

"What do you guys make of the letters? Seeing as I believe we all got one."

Bubbles dropped a teaspoon. Buttercup shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Bubbles asked quietly.

"Yeah," Buttercup agreed, sitting up in the bed. "What's new with you, Blossom?"

"I really think we should talk about this. This has got to be serious," Blossom said.

"Come on, Blossom!" Buttercup interjected. "This is the first time we've seen each other in years, and you don't want to catch up? You'd rather talk about…"

"Yes, I'd rather talk about why we're here," Blossom finished. She looked at Buttercup, giving her the most serious expression she could muster. Bubbles stepped into the doorway.

"Blossom, I wanna know, too. But I think we all thought enough about what it could be about already," she said. Buttercup agreed. Blossom remained poised.

"I've already talked to you both recently. We know how each other are. Let's discuss this now," she said, her voice final.

"It's obviously something bad, but not bad enough that we had to be here sooner," Buttercup said. "I'm guessing the Professor wants us to help him with something that is important to him, _maybe_ important to Townsville. Either way, I don't think it's killing anyone or anything, so there."

Buttercup laid back on the bed. Blossom sighed again. Bubbles folded her arms and spoke.

"I ran by the house when I got the letter. I didn't go in or anything, but everything looked okay."

"Bubbles, you haven't seen the Professor either?" Buttercup asked. "You live right here!"

"I was always busy! And every time I asked the Professor if I could visit, he said he was always just as busy. Then after a while, I just didn't ask anymore…" Bubbles' voice drifted off. Buttercup huffed.

"You know, why haven't we kept in contact? How does a family like ours not see each other for three years?"

"Well, you're job is demanding, isn't it Buttercup?" Bubbles said. "I'm always doing protests and working and stuff. And Blossom, don't you have an internship or something?"

"You're trying to change the subject!" Blossom cried. Buttercup and Bubbles looked away from her. Blossom actually looked angry.

"And for your information… it was nice being away from here." Blossom's faced turned from anger… to almost sadness. Buttercup and Bubbles looked at her again. "It was nice to be by myself for a while, and I think I got caught up with time. As much as I missed you guys, and the Professor, and Townsville, being my own… _entity_… I liked it." Blossom stopped. She looked rather contemplative

"It was nice not being a Powerpuff Girl," Buttercup added. Bubbles slid down the wall and sat.

"You know, it's weird being in Townsville," she said thoughtfully. "It's weird without you guys here. It's weird watching the cops take care of the crime. Actually, it's weird seeing crime here, and it isn't Mojo Jojo, or the Amoeba Boys, or he Gangrene Gang…"

"Whatever happened to everyone?" Buttercup asked.

"All of them, or the _Gangrene Gang_?" Bubbles' asked playfully. Buttercup threw a pillow at Bubbles, as Bubbles laughed uproariously. Even Blossom cracked a smile.

"Some of them get into trouble every now and then, but nothing too bad," Bubbles finally answered.

"Can we get back to the subject?" Blossom asked, regaining her original poise.

"Chill out, leader girl," Buttercup said. Blossom turned her head sharply at Buttercup. Buttercup smiled warmly.

"I haven't heard that in ages," Blossom admitted.

"Blossom, let's just, I don't know, _hang out_ a while, huh?" Bubbles asked, Blossom turning and looking at her. "We'll know soon enough." Blossom sighed once again.

"I guess so. I'm sorry I'm kinda paranoid."

"I think we all are just a little bit," Buttercup said. Just then, the tea kettle whistled from the kitchen. Bubbles leapt up and ran in there. She turned off the heat and poured the tea.

"How about we just have some tea and talk, and around ten 'til, we'll head home," Bubbles suggested. She put the teacups, the sugar bowl, and a few teaspoons on a tray and brought it into the living room. She placed it on a table, and looked at the others.

"Deal?"

Buttercup sat up, and Blossom turned her chair to the table. She looked up and smiled.

"Deal."

The girls talked and shared their lives for a few hours. The reminisced about the old days and chatted about how things were now. They discussed just about everything besides the letter. Later, around 4:45 P.M., Bubbles collected the tea stuff and put them in the kitchen sink. Buttercup went over to the window and peaked outside.

"It's not raining anymore," she announced.

"Can I just leave this here then?" asked Blossom, just about to put her raincoat back on. Bubbles said okay, and came back into the living room. The three girls stood together near the door, looking at each other.

"Ready?" Blossom asked. Bubbles and Buttercup glanced at each, and looked back at Blossom.

"Ready."

Bubbles opened the door and ushered them out. She locked the door behind her and turned around. The three looked at each other again a moment. Bubbles giggled. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Buttercup grinned and jumped up. She floated in midair and looked down. Blossom and Bubbles stepped up into the air and met with her. Buttercup nudged at Blossom.

"Aren't you going to lead or what?" she asked. Blossom grinned, and sped off into the air, Buttercup and Bubbles inches behind. For the first time in years, the citizens of Townsville again witnessed the old pink, blue, and green rainbow from years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

EDIT: This chapter may not run as smoothly at first, due to this scene being written before anything else. I might have made a few continuity errors. I'm too lazy to correct them, so feel free to let me know if you spot any. AND, if you're lame and can't figure out what happened between Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 – The PPG flew to their old house. They are now standing on the sidewalk. Okay.

**Chapter 3**

The three stood before the old white house, with the three round windows the girls remembered making. Although the house looked a bit older, the bushes in the front were still green and trimmed. The path to the door was spotless, and the driveway might have recently been redone.

"Has anybody been here since we graduated?" Blossom asked. Bubbles and Buttercup looked at her, then at each other. Nobody replied. They stood a few more moments, staring at the old house.

"What are we waiting for?" Bubbles said. She hurried up the path and to the front door. Blossom and Buttercup followed. Bubbles knocked on the door. _"Come in!"_ said a voice within. Bubbles looked at the others, smiled, and opened the door.

It seemed the inside of the house had changed about as much as the outside. The same maroon and plum furniture was spread around the living room. The floor and the counters were spotless, and the carpet did not have one speck of dust.

"Maybe the Professor needs us back here to keep him busy," Buttercup remarked. The three shared a quick laugh.

"Girls?"

The three looked up at the staircase, where there stood a tall man in a lab coat, with graying black hair and a pipe. His forehead had been wrinkled from years of straining his brain, and his eyes had given in, and were framed by a pair of small square glass. The girls glanced at each other and grinned.

"Professor!"

The three sped forward, embracing their creator. Professor Utonium hugged each of them, surveying them as the came forward.

"Blossom, you're hair is beautiful," Professor complimented.

"I take care of it a lot," Blossom said with a smile.

"Because she _still_ has no life," Buttercup commented.

"Buttercup… you're still--"

"Here?"

"…My Buttercup," Professor corrected, smiling warmly.

"Professor, I was in the news last week!" Bubbles exclaimed. "My picture is on the front page. 'Powerpuff--'"

"…Protests Pokey Oaks Pound,'" Professor finished. "I still read it in the morning with my coffee." Bubbles grinned. Professor stepped down the stairs.

"Now, I really would love to sit and chat, but unfortunately, we have some business to take care of. Let me take you to the lab."

The girls followed the Professor to the laboratory door. The Professor turned around.

"Now I must warn you. The one who will be joining us for this meeting is important in all of this. Do not be surprised, and please," Professor glanced at Buttercup, "Be respectful."

"Why'd you look at me?" Buttercup asked, but Professor held a finger to his lips and entered the lab. They descended down the stairs to the brightly lit laboratory. For the first time the girls could remember, none of the burners were on, and none of the complicated machines were rumbling. Test tubes were not bubbling, and the smell of chemicals did not seem as strong. Blossom looked at Bubbles and Buttercup curiously, but they both shrugged. They soon reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw an arrangement of chairs. In one of the chairs sat…

"Mojo Jojo!" The girls exclaimed together. The monkey with the striped helmet sat in the chair, glaring at the girls. His fur was grayer, and the green in his face seemed faded. He still wore the same blue outfit, with the white gloves and boots, and the purple cape.

"Powerpuff Girls," he said with a nod.

"Professor, what's going on?" Buttercup demanded, with Blossom and Bubbles agreeing.

"Please, take a seat, and we will all discuss this."

The three girls apprehensively took the seats in front of Mojo Jojo. Professor took the seat before them next to Mojo. He collected some paperwork strewn across his desk. He sighed, and faced the girls. There was an intense moment, filled with tension.

"What's going on, Professor?" Bubbles whispered.

"Well, girls, have you heard about any strange, um, news lately? Anywhere?" Professor began.

"I only keep track of the animals. The pound is still selling cats and dogs to testing facilities," Bubbles said.

"I try to keep track of the news in Massachusetts," Blossom said. "As far as I know, the government has been wasting money on something we don't know about. But that's not surprising, of course there's a bit of corruption over there." Professor nodded in agreement.

"Good, Blossom. Bubbles, your information is relevant, too. Buttercup?"

"I don't hear about anything in New York," Buttercup replied. She watched Mojo Jojo, waiting for any sudden movements.

"For the record, I am not going to try anything," Mojo said.

"He won't, girls. We'll explain as we go. Trust me," Professor assured. Buttercup sighed and looked away from Mojo. She decided to only peak on him every now and then.

"Anyway, that's fine, Buttercup," Professor said. "But believe it or not, Blossom's information and Bubbles information are connected, along with a lot of other evidence. Girls… There is another scheme."

"A scheme?" Blossom repeated. Professor nodded.

"Yes. There have been some interesting things happening in the world lately. Money has been disappearing from all over the world; mysterious disappearances of both animals and people. And I've noticed a disturbing change in my Him-dar…" Bubbles winced.

"Him-dar? You're… _Him_… tracking device?"

"Yes, the Him-dar," Professor said. "I know the location of..._ Him_… if he's in one of two places – here in Townsville, or in his world. He is not in either location."

"How is this all connected? Couldn't it just be a coincidence?" Blossom questioned.

"I can answer this one," Mojo said. He cleared his throat and continued. "See, for past few years, since you three retired, I needed something to do rather than try and take over Townsville. It's no fun when there is no challenge. Instead, I got a job creating and selling, er, _supplies_ to other countries, including our own. I made a pretty penny and I was content. And then a few weeks ago, they started getting interesting requests: mind control devices, big enough to fit in elephant brains, small enough to fit in pigeon brains. So I made them for a while, and soon I made the mistake of asking what they were for. Suddenly, the requests stopped, and the funding I was getting for creating my products stopped as well. Soon, I decided to do some investigating, and found out my clients have been sending their business elsewhere. And this, of course, infuriated me. I decided, using my keen criminal mind, to sabotage those other manufacturers, and get my clientele back! Mwuahaha!"

Mojo Jojo stopped, and saw that he was standing in his chair, all eyes staring at him curiously. He cleared his throat again and sat back down.

"Where does Him play into this?" Blossom asked.

"I was getting to that. Throughout my investigation, I found some interesting information in the files of the United Nations…"

"That's illegal!" Blossom interrupted. "You're infiltrating governmental documentations!"

"So what else is new, Blossom? Let the monkey finish," Buttercup said. Mojo raised his eyebrow at Blossom. She sighed.

"Continue."

"_As I was I saying,_ there seems to be a lot of disagreements within all the countries. England is arguing with Russia about weapons, Kenya is arguing with India about cultures, et cetera, et cetera. But right now, everyone country is at odds with every other country. No allies. That is simply not possible. There are always allies with somebody. But not this time. Everybody is enemies, and nobody is allies. It does not make sense. What this all means that we are preparing for global warfare."

"So we're approaching another world war? Nice." Buttercup commented.

"Not nice! It's war!" Bubbles exclaimed.

"But it's more than just another world war," Blossom said thoughtfully. "We're all against each other this time." Blossom moved uncomfortably in her seat. "I still don't see where Him plays in all of this."

"We believe that Him has corrupted the minds of all the world leaders," Professor concluded.

"What proof?" Blossom asked. Professor cleared his throat.

"Obviously, where is Him on my Him-dar? And how does every world leader coincidentally all decide to hate each other? What evil could provide such hatred?"

"That's pushing it," Blossom said. "As likely as it is, that is all speculation and no stone-cold proof. And what about the money and mind-control equipment? Since when did Him need money or equipment to do anything?"

"Here is your 'stone-cold proof,'" Mojo said, handing her an envelope "I received the note in there two weeks ago." Blossom opened the envelope and read the note:

"_Sorry for the business change, but you_

_are a bit nosy, my dear._

_Prepare for the worst, my love._

_The game has soon begun._

_ Sincerely,_

_ The Other Father"_

"Couldn't get any gayer, could it?" Buttercup chuckled, reading over Blossom's shoulder.

"Shut up!" Mojo shouted.

"It still isn't stone-cold, but I'll accept it," Blossom said. "But what about…" Professor held up his hand to speak. Blossom looked at him.

"We believe Him is using them as pawns. He is probably using his powers to influence the leaders, and manipulate them to do his deeds. The leaders buy the mind-control devices to control people and animals, probably to aide in war. The animals are useful to them as easy weapons, but the devices need to be tested…" Bubbles gasped. Professor frowned grimly. "The money will continue to go to testing, the devices, and other dangerous equipment. They are all pieces of a puzzle… a game. Everything is a game. Him has pretty much said he was the one up to it, and he is leading everything and everyone to a global warfare."

"Is this why you need us? To stop global warfare?" Blossom asked.

"To stop the animal testing, and the mind-control devices?" Bubbles added.

"To stop Him?" Buttercup finished.

"Sounds simple enough. We've done this before," Blossom said. Bubbles and Buttercup nodded in agreement.

"But it's not that simple," Professor said. He sighed. He sat there quietly a moment, looking rather tired and worried. He sifted through his paperwork and found an envelope, about the same as Mojo's. He handed it to Blossom.

"_And the super-powered children_

_of monkey and men,_

_Will exist no longer_

_as they have been._

_100 days, past December._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Tracked Friend"_

The girls stared at the note. Professor sighed and buried his face in his hands. Mojo sat quietly in his chair, his fingers laced in front of his face.

"Are we… are we going to die?" Bubbles asked quietly. Blossom looked at the Professor.

"I don't know," Professor whispered. "If it's not death… you're going to lose your powers."

"That's bullshit!" Buttercup cried.

"Buttercup! Language!" Blossom hissed. Buttercup ignored her.

"No! Him can't take away our powers. He can't just kill us either. We've been through this before. He's turned everyone we loved against us, he's made us face our biggest fears, he's single-handedly tried to ruin our lives, and never succeeded! You think he can do it now? I don't! It's an empty threat! It's complete bullshit!"

There was a long moment of echoing silence. Buttercup was half-angry, half-surprised at everyone. Blossom looked very deep in thought as Bubbles looked extremely worried. The Professor and Mojo looked grimly at one another.

"Did I ever tell you that Chemical X can expire?" Professor said. The girls looked at him. "No? I probably should have said something. After I received this letter, I did some tests on the remaining drops of Chemical X that I have. It turns out… it… it expires on April tenth, twenty-one years after it is used." The girls were silent.

"Our birthday," Bubbles stated.

"We're going… to expire?" Buttercup asked fearfully.

"I… I don't know if that means death or just… loss of powers," Professor said. He covered his eyes.

"Funny enough, the chemical I used expires fifteen years after use," Mojo stated. Blossom looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Rowdyruff Boy's will expire as well, only a few days or so later than you," Mojo revealed. "That is why when you go on your mission; you will be working with them."

"No!" The girls shouted simultaneously.

"Professor, why do we need to work with them?" Blossom asked.

"Because this is bigger than all of us, and the more power we have, the better," Professor Utonium explained.

"Neither I, or any of my boys, wish to associate with you, either," Mojo added. "But if this gets any further, everything I have will be destroyed. The whole world may be destroyed. And I suppose I'd rather work with you than have that."

"And we need to stick together as much as possible," Professor said. The girls glanced at each other.

"Do we have to?" Blossom whined.

"Yes, Blossom. Fortunately, you'll be working in pairs, in each of the three teams we have figured out for you. We have done a lot of investigating, and made several discoveries, which we will explain to you later." Professor said, grabbing some paperwork nearby. "Blossom, we will be sending you and Brick to Chicago--"

"Why Me and Brick?" Blossom interrupted. "I don't want to go anywhere with him."

"You're both wonderful investigators," Professor replied. "Together, you two will associate with those underground, especially since Brick has – er – _good_ connections. You'll need to find as much more information as possible."

Blossom sighed. "I'll do what I must."

"The rest of you will be investigating some potential evil hotspots," Mojo explained. "Bubbles, you will go with Boomer to a remote island in the Pacific, and explore until you find something, if anything. Buttercup, you will go with Butch underground – literally – until _you_ find something."

"I _have_ always wanted to go to an island," Bubbles said with forced optimism.

"I've always wanted to submit myself to torture," Buttercup said, also with forced optimism.

"That's the spirit, girls," Professor said, smiling.

"Have you told _them_ yet?" Blossom asked.

"We're meeting with the boys in about an hour," Professor answered. "In the meantime, I will give you your instructions and uniforms."

"Uniforms?" Bubbles asked, excited.

"Oh, no," Buttercup muttered to herself.

"They're not terrible, Buttercup. And they actually provide necessary armor. I've been working on them," Professor tried to reassure. Buttercup chuckled.

"I'll let you know how I feel as soon as I see the length of the skirts."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

EDIT (5/25/08) – Wow. I've got reviews already. Sorry, I'm not used to that. Thanks, though!

And kudos to fanficfan001 for finding a big continuity error. To quote their comment: "The Girls' chemical X expires in 21 years, but the RR boys' in 15 years right? The girls were created at like 6 or 7 years old, so were the RRB's so shouldn't the RRBs be dead already? I mean the girls were still in Kindergarten when the RRBs were first created, so the RRB's should have either lost their power or died 6 years ago or so right?"

You're right. This seems to be something I did not think about as much as I probably should have.

I will fix this eventually, but for the sake of the story, please overlook this, erm, detail. Just keep in mind the expiration IS their personal motivation, and they will, basically, all die if they don't do this.

Thanks again.

OH! And self-realization: I think my characters speak too smart… but I kind of like the idea that they're intelligent people… hmm… so yeah.

But I'm sorry for the late update. I just got out of school for the summer, so I've been pretty busy. I'm not anymore though! Expect updates every other week or so. Yay!

**Chapter 4  
**

Each in a rather gloomy mood, the three girls waited in their old room, for whenever the Professor would call them back downstairs. He told them to wait for the meeting with the boys, and they would speak one more time tonight. Bubbles sat on her twin-size bed, which was covered with sky blue sheets and dozens of stuffed animals. Blossom stared at herself blankly in the mirror, slowly brushing her hair. Buttercup gazed out one of the three old windows, completely distracted. She sighed.

"At least an hour, right?" she asked. Bubbles and Blossom didn't reply. Buttercup glanced at them, and then tugged longingly at her trench coat pocket. They remained silent for several minutes, before Buttercup spoke again.

"Ah," she moved closer to the window, "they're here."

Bubbles and Blossom immediately dropped everything and zoomed to a window. They each stared at three guys standing in front of their house. The tallest one had jet-black hair, pulled into a short pony-tail. He had large combat boots, tight blue jeans, and a tattered leather jacket. The guy next to him had shaggy, dirty blonde hair, and he wore a brown polo with khaki shorts. The last one had his deep auburn hair covered in a backwards baseball cap. His clothes hung lazily on his body, a single chain hanging from his baggy pants.

It _was_ them – The Rowdyruff Boys.

The dark-haired one, Butch, popped a cigarette out of his sleeve and lit it. He took one long drag, and flicked the cigarette into the grass. Blossom gasped.

"How could he?!" She said, disgusted.

"He's… just an ass," Buttercup concluded, although she stared longingly out the window, her lipped curled. The others did not notice.

"They look so…different…" she said, her voice trailing. The girls continued staring out the window, waiting for the guys below to move. Suddenly, the blonde one, Boomer, looked up. The girls jumped away from the window, as if electrified.

"Do you think they saw us?!" Bubbles cried. Buttercup and Blossom glanced at one another.

"What doe it matter?" Blossom said. She strutted back to the mirror, and went back to brushing her hair, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. "Let's just wait for the Professor."

Buttercup chuckled, as Bubbles went and sat back on her bed. The girls soon heard a door open below, and muffled voices. They tried not to let each other see how much they strained to listen. The door closed, there was some more voices, another door opened and closed.

Silence.

It was precisely an hour and forty-nine minutes before there was a soft knock on the girls' door. The girls tore themselves away from the clock and saw the Professor peak into the room. He smiled.

"We're finished, girls. You may come down now." He opened the door all the way and gestured the girls out the door. The girls looked at each other, and left the room. Blossom remained completely poised again, ready for the meeting. Bubbles wrung her hands at her sides nervously. Buttercup's face was twisted into an angry pout. The Professor shut the door behind him, and followed. At the laboratory door, the Professor cut ahead. He turned.

"Now, please girls, I expect nothing but respect and maturity," he said. He eyed Buttercup knowingly. "From all of you." Buttercup was taken aback.

"Why are you looking at me again, Professor? God, you'd think—" Professor held a finger up to his lips. He opened the door and went in, the girls trailing behind. He walked down the stairs slower than usual, dreading the events soon to follow. He caught sight of the boys and Mojo Jojo, and stopped.

_ZING!_

"YOU! YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! HERE! IN MY HOUSE! IN THE PROFESSOR'S HOUSE! BASTARDS!"

Professor was not at all surprised to see Buttercup screaming obscenities inches away from the face of the red-haired Brick. Blossom and Bubbles struggled desperately to keep their sister from slaughtering him. Brick stood with his feet glued to the floor, and did not utter a single word, although he was obviously restraining himself.

"Buttercup, control yourself," Professor said hopelessly.

"Bitch needs a fucking sedative," Brick said through clenched teeth. If it was possible, Buttercup was even angrier now than before. Blossom, whose legs were anchored around the stair's railing, held her grip on Buttercup's wrist.

"Butter…cup… stop… it…" she panted. Buttercup broke her sisters' grip… and planted her feet on the ground. She breathed heavily. Brick sneered and sat.

"Now, Buttercup, um, maybe you should sit?" Bubbles said, pulling over a chair. Blossom and Bubbles pushed Buttercup into the chair. They grab their own chairs and sat near her. The Professor settled himself back into his old chair.

"Girls…" he gestured at the boys. "The – er – boys."

There was a very long, very intense moment as all of them glared at each other. Not a word was spoken.

"Now," Mojo Jojo interrupted, "down to business or what?"

"No," Blossom said. She eyed each of the boys, one by one. She stopped at Brick. Not taking her eyes away, she stood up. She took a step forward, and held out her hand. Brick looked at the hand, then at Blossom. He did it again. And he did it again. He shook it.

"Better?" Mojo Jojo said irritably. All of them stood up and shook hands, all except Buttercup. Butch stood before her. Their eyes met. Another long, intense moment. Butch held out a strong, square hand. Buttercup grimaced… and reluctantly shook it.

"_Now_ can we get to business?" Mojo Jojo asked. They all say back down and looked at him. He smiled his strange, toothy, evil grin.

"Awww, aren't we all one, big happy family?" he said. Bubbles, Boomer, and Brick chuckled.

"We're just… we're just in this together," Blossom said. She looked at the Professor. He nodded, and collected the papers on his desk.

"We've all met again, and we've all been introduced to our missions, but I of course must provide details." He passed out a sheet of paper to each of them. "These papers will give you any information I don't tell you now. Memorize this, because you won't be taking it with you.

Each of you are paired up according to your strengths, and you will _need_ to utilize these strengths. Bubbles and Boomer, both knowledgeable in animals and nature in general, will explore an island in the Atlantic Ocean. We have reason to believe that the island may be the training and or testing site for animals. You will observe the area for anything out of the ordinary, try and find the possible locations, and destroy it."

A small smile bounced on Bubbles face. The animals? She might get to help the animals! She looked at Boomer, who was looking curiously at the ground.

"Butch and Buttercup, as the most powerful and dynamic of both teams, will explore the caverns in the southwest. We have a lead that the caves are used by Him and his allies, possibly for storage and manufacturing, but that's truly as much as we know. It is potentially the most dangerous of the areas, and I know you can do this."

The Professor was desperately trying to encourage Buttercup. She winced and looked at Butch. He smirked.

"As for Blossom and Brick, you will head to Chicago, and use your diplomatic and investigative skills to find out as much more information as possible. Brick will exhaust all his connections finding said information, and Blossom will put the pieces together and organize information. This is _the_ most important task of all of this.

Any questions so far?"

The Professor looked around the room, hopeful. Not a word. The Professor turned to Mojo Jojo, beckoning him to speak.

"Now, _we_ will be in contact the entire mission. In each of the uniforms that _I_ have created will be a homing device, so we can keep track of you. There is also a cloaking device to avoid any unwanted tracking from the _other_ side. You will each have a radio for communication, and you will also have a new 'sense'… This sense will let you know when _he's_ lurking nearby… Just as an extra precaution. All of these were created by me – Mojo Jojo.

Any questions?"

Butch raised his hand and spoke, very smoothly and matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, do you still talk like that? Man…"

That did it. In a split second, everyone, including Buttercup, burst into laughter. Only Mojo remained seething in his chair. Perhaps the tension was just too much. The laughter ensued for a few minutes. Mojo Jojo sat there quietly. Waiting for the laughter to finish. When it died, he sighed and looked at the Professor. He nodded.

"I'm not going to ask you to leave now, so in the morning, I'll feed you girls breakfast and we'll send you off at 9 a.m.."

This seemed to conclude the meeting. They sat there a few more seconds before everyone stood up. The Rowdyruff Boys silently filed up the stairs and out of the lab. Mojo Jojo nodded at the girls and the Professor.

"9 a.m. sharp."

He followed. The girls looked at the Professor. He sighed.

"If you girls don't mind… it'd be nice to have you back for the night. I'll make you breakfast."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

So, I'm apologizing again for the atrocity that was Chapter 4. It was bit rushed, and kind of a drag, but it was kind of a transitional chapter… This one will be better. Promise! 3 It's also going to be a long… long chapter. I could possibly split it into two, but I think one fits better.

And as I keep stressing – this is a draft. What I write right away ends up here. I don't edit until I'm completely finished. So continue to bear with me, and keep up the love. I'm enjoying you reading. :D

**Chapter 5**

Bubbles didn't remember how soft her bed was until tonight. The soft mattress engulfed her in a sea fluffy pillows and furry stuffed-animals, her breathing practically rocking the bed, ever so slightly, as a feather does when one gently blows on it. The rocking used to lull her to sleep, where she would dream she truly was at sea, rocking happily on a little boat, dolphins happily leaping around her, the sky happily glowing on her pale skin.

So when Bubbles barely slept that night, she knew she was absolutely distraught. After an extremely short dream that involved she and her sisters spontaneously combusting, Bubbles lay in the dark, staring at the blazing, red numbers on the alarm clock across the room. 4:38 A.M… 4:39 A.M… Every time the numbers changed, fear pulsed through her body. The numbers were not just the time – they were the time to a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off in thirty days time. Bubbles didn't want to die. There was so much left to do. And if the thirty days were set in stone, which she did doubt a little, she did not want to waste her last month doing this mission. Though, she might get to save many animals and people. That actually might be how she wanted to spend her last days….

Blossom was not sleeping so well, either. Although she was also filled with worry, her analytical brain would not stop reeling, like cogs turning the numbers in the alarm clock. She felt that all the information and details of the day were extremely ridiculous. They almost did not add up. Him was the basis of everything? He was using animals for testing? All the nations in the world were in conflict? Chemical X expires in just 30 days? This just all seemed too complicated to believe. It was just too fantastic. Thankfully, with all modesty aside, Blossom was on the case. She knew she had the prowess to find a solution, as well as the fitness to fight if need be. And perhaps Brick wouldn't be too bad to deal with…

Blossom glanced over at Buttercup's empty bed. Blossom heard Buttercup sneak out the window an hour or so ago. She wasn't too worried – Buttercup could very obviously take care of herself – but she couldn't help feeling curious.

Within minutes, there was some soft rustling at the window. Neither Blossom nor Bubbles looked as Buttercup slithered through the window. They heard her sniffle, and some shuffling that meant she was taking off her boots.

Buttercup quietly sat on her bed, that only slight gave at her weight. She didn't bother taking her trench coat off. Her trench coat gave her security, providing warmth and dryness from the weather. It also gave her a place to store all her secrets, like the little package in her inside breast pocket. She sniffled again and lay back on her bed. She glared at the ceiling, her bottom lip curling in a personal sneer. She admitted in her head that she was absolutely terrified. What a way to go! All her powers, or perhaps her heartbeat, gone in a clock's tick. The first one was what scared her the most. Nothing could cripple a warrior more than losing her strength and agility. Would that disappear? Would she be just _normal_? It wasn't the extraordinary powers, per se; it was the strength that Buttercup built her entire _being_ on. Losing her foundation? She might as well just die…

Hours passed, as the girls lay silent, waiting for the slumber that would never come. Day broke a little before 8 A.M., and Blossom sighed and sat up. She looked at the sunlight sprawled on her bed. She wondered if this would be one of the last times she would observe it like this, its warmth lightly heating the blanket, its light emanating through the window onto her bed.

"I'm hungry," Buttercup said, sitting up. Bubbles rolled over and looked at her sisters. Blossom huffed.

"I think I can smell the Professor cooking," she said. Sure enough, the girls heard some light crashing and clunking down below, as a thick, invisible cloud of aroma floated through the room. Almost every breakfast smell you can imagine overwhelmed the room: coffee, pancakes, sausages, eggs, bacon, gravy… Buttercup leapt off the bed.

"Let's get food! I'm starved!" she beckoned. She grinned and exited the room. Blossom and Bubbles smiled weakly at each other, not at all deterred by Buttercup's forced optimism. They got up and followed.

Downstairs, the Professor was cheerfully frying some bacon. Buttercup was already leaning back in her old favorite chair. Bubbles and Blossom took their old usual seats, a little bit of nostalgia sneaking up on them.

"I made all your favorite breakfasts!" the Professor exclaimed. "Biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon for Buttercup, chocolate chip pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs for Bubbles, and eggs-over-easy with a side of sausage and buttered toast for Blossom." He passed the meals out as he stated them, biscuits and gravy for Buttercup, pancakes for Bubbles, and eggs for Blossom. He glanced at Buttercup.

"Buttercup, you still take sugar in your coffee?"

"You know it," Buttercup chuckled.

"Orange juice for Bubbles?"

"Of course," Bubbles replied.

"English breakfast tea with 1/6 cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar for Blossom?"

Blossom beamed at the Professor as he placed the steaming tea cup before her. Professor placed a plate of buttered and jam-spread toast at his own seat. He grabbed a steaming coffee cup and the daily newspaper and sat at his seat. He exhaled deeply. He took a sip, and the girls couldn't help but notice which cup it was: an old white cup, with the four happy crayon faces of the family and the messy crayon letters "#1 dad." Naturally, it was the work of six-year-old Bubbles. The girls smiled, but did not say a word. The rest of the meal was eaten in pleasant silence, everyone rather content with the happy moment.

It was about ten till nine when Professor interrupted, "I think it's time to change. They'll be here any moment."

He stood up and went around the table, collecting the dirty dishes. The girls quietly got up and headed upstairs. The night before, the Professor had given them each a small backpack with supplies, which included their uniforms. None of the girls bothered to look yet. When they got to their room, Buttercup snatched her bag right away.

"I get the bathroom!" She said, and headed out. Blossom laughed.

"She doesn't fool me one bit," she said. Bubbles looked at her scornfully.

"Don't be such a buzz kill, Blossom. Someone needs to smile," she said. Blossom eyed her, a bit taken aback at this strange role reversal. She was usually the one to lecture, not Bubbles. Blossom shrugged and started changing. Within minutes, she was admiring her outfit in the mirror. The uniform was a black, polyester tank top, with a matching skirt, spankies, and mid-calf combat boots. The many accessories, like the belt and wrist cuff and gloves, wear light pink. Blossom snickered; it seemed the Professor based this uniform on the girls kindergarten dresses. She looked at Bubbles. Bubbles had the same uniform, but her accessories were baby blue.

"I think he liked the old color scheme," Bubbles giggled.

"It's only, you know, reversed—"

"UGHH!!"

Blossom and Bubbles jumped and looked out the door at the bathroom. Buttercup burst through the door, wearing her own uniform with green accessories, and stormed down the stairs.

"PROFESSOR!"

Blossom and Bubbles immediately followed her. Buttercup was hoofing it down the stairs, muttering obscenely.

"I'm not wearing this piece of sh—"

She stopped. What she saw before her completely took her words away. In the living room stood Mojo Jojo and the Rowdyruff Boys, who wore similarly designed uniforms (without skirts, of course). Professor was just closing the living room door.

"Ain't she cute," Brick sniggered. Buttercup's lip curled again.

"Professor, I'm not wearing this shit. This skirt barely covers my fucking ass," she exclaimed, turning sharply and causing her skirt to flutter.

"Damn," Butch muttered. Buttercup threw an evil glare at him. He chuckled to himself.

"Language, Buttercup," Professor said simply. "The uniform has special fibers woven in that will provide extra protection, warmth, and strength. The skirt also provides extra maneuverability."

"Fantastic!" Buttercup exclaimed. "So why can't I wear what _they're_ wearing?" She pointed at the boys. Their uniforms included a black tank, somewhat loose black pants tucked into boots, and red, green, and blue accessories (for Brick, Butch, and Boomer, respectively). Brick still had his hat, though.

"Because I don't think they would look so nice skirts," Mojo Jojo said. "Now quit complaining; we've got business to attend to."

Buttercup huffed and stepped away, decided to displace her anger by staring the boys down. Only Brick returned her stony glare.

"Do we just need to take the bags, Professor?" asked Bubbles, who had been standing at the foot of the stairs with Blossom the entire time. Professor nodded, "Yes, and make sure all your accessories are on your person, and you may take anything else you feel will be necessary for the mission. But pack light."

Bubbles nodded and headed upstairs, followed by a reluctant Buttercup. Blossom remained, looking at the others.

"When are we leaving?" she asked.

"As soon as possible!" Mojo cried. "No get ready!"

Blossom winced at Mojo's harshly-delivered command. She sniffed and headed back upstairs. She stopped at the bedroom doorway, where Bubbles and Buttercup were standing with their bags, ready to go.

"Ready?" Buttercup asked.

"I only need to grab one thing," she said. She ran to the vanity and pulled open the bottom drawer. She sifted through her things, and pulled out a small box. She opened and pulled out a long red ribbon. Buttercup eyed her.

"Your bow?"

Blossom looked at her sisters and smiled. She pulled her hair into a pony-tail, and then carefully tied the ribbon into a perfect bow. Her sisters grinned.

"Now I'm ready to go."

The girls were as physically prepared as they could get. The marched down the stairs and stood in line like soldiers. The boys were sitting on the couch quietly, and stood up when the girls entered. Mojo hopped off the armchair.

"Let's head to the backyard where we'll see you all off," the Professor said. With that, he headed out the living room, Mojo and the boys following after. Boomer in particular glanced at the girls curiously, and Buttercup's eyes narrowed. The girls filed after.

The backyard was glittering yellow-green with the fresh morning dew. The sky was a grayish-blue, with a little pink where the bright golden sun shone. The cool air and the warm sun cast a wonderful sensation on the girls' and boys' skin. They all barely had a chance to savor the moment.

"Each of your accessories is of course very important," Professor started. "In your bag is a complete instruction manual of all the features. The most important are the homing device button on your right—" he pointed to a little hanging box on Blossom's belt that had a little latch covering a button. "—a little pouch with several explosives, matches and a lighter can be found on the right pouch, and in the center is a powerful light. There are more features, but once again, read, or figure them out as you go." He smiled at Blossom, who he knew naturally wanted to figure things out for herself anyway. "The left wrist cuff—" he nodded at Brick, who opened the latch on his cuff to reveal a tiny computer screen, complete with keyboard. "—contains a tiny computer, that you can access and store information, as well as communicate with us. There is also a camera so you can see us, and we can see you. You can take pictures and videos, if it becomes necessary."

"It's like an iPhone," Boomer said. Everyone looked at him a moment, and then the Professor cleared his throat and continued.

"If you need to figure anything else out, let us know." He indicated two buttons next to the computer screen. "Green is video, blue is radio. If you feel the cuff vibrating, we're trying to communicate with you. A light or a sound would be too noticeable, and an earplug would be inefficient. Any questions?"

The team shook their heads, Bubbles muttering a "no."

"We will want to you to keep a low profile, of course," Mojo began. "Brick and Blossom, you will head straight to the police station, where there is a helicopter waiting for you to take to Chicago. Brick, you will pilot."

"Sweet," Brick muttered.

"When you are close to the correct location, we will contact you and tell you were to land. After that, you will follow the instructions you should've already memorized. You'll be on your own after that."

_After helicopter, hide out at the landing site until the evening. At 8 pm, start investigating the hotspots,_ Blossom thought. _I wish I knew what they were…_ She had to admit, the planning seemed somewhat poorly planned, but she accepted it. That seemed to be a running action she had to do at the moment. Mojo continued.

"Boomer and Bubbles will fly to the port, where they will take a boat to the designated located found on your maps. Destroy the map when you reach your location. You are on your own from there."

"Do you guys know how to work every toy on the planet?" Buttercup asked the boys.

"I've trained them well," Mojo said before any of the boys could reply. "I'm sorry if someone did not do the same for you."

"Excuse you, Jojo," Professor said, smiling lightly. The girls stifled laughter.

"_Anyways_," Mojo emphasized every syllable. "And Butch and Buttercup will head to the abandoned mine shaft in North Townsville, where they will make their way through to their designated location using _their_ maps. You will follow your directions from there."

_Blast a dead-end, _thought Buttercup_. Make it to an underground lake that will lead to a desolate desert-type area, wherever the hell that is. Make way to another cave, and search it thoroughly. What a drag_. Buttercup felt her directions were so _not_ exciting. Blossom got to party with criminals, and Bubbles got to free animals. Why was Buttercup's so incredibly boring?

"If you need any clarification, now is the time to request it," Mojo asked.

"Yeah, you can make short phrases sometimes, right?" Brick asked. The other boys chuckled. Buttercup even snorted.

"If you are ready, then, pair up," Mojo stated, clearly holding back any anger.

This was it. The boys and the girls looked at each other, and awkwardly paired up. Brick and Blossom remained stony-faced as they stood next to each other. Bubbles and Boomer clearly felt uncomfortable. Butch looked annoyed as Buttercup looked about to punch someone.

The Professor looked at all of them. He seemed momentarily lost for words. His eyes watered just a little behind his glasses.

"Good luck," he choked out. Bubbles immediately ran over and embraced him. Blossom remained stony-faced, holding back any emotion, and Buttercup stared at the Professor. The Professor smiled at them understandably, and stared into Bubbles eyes.

"I love you girls very much," he whispered, though Blossom and Buttercup heard.

"Enough. Take off, teams," Mojo said, no emotion overtaking him at all. Bubbles floated back over to Boomer as the others rose into the air. With a single glance down, and a last glance at each other, the three teams shot into separate directions.

Townsville witnessed the curious lights in the sky. For the first time, the citizens witnessed three different rainbows, each two shades of the same color. Each rainbow blazed brilliantly against gray sky, just as brilliant as the golden sun.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

Oh, and another thing: these next few chapters were supposed to be split into three sections, telling the story of each "team", for lack of a better term. Then I realized I wrote them too long to make one big chapter, so they will just be separate chapters. I might even just throw a few together every now and then, if they're short enough.

Oh, and for the record: hermeown. deviantart .com.  
Go to it. but take out the spaces. (stupid )  
Why? Fan-art! I illustrated random parts of the story, and there's other random-related art. If you care to, check it out. I'd appreciate it.

Anyways, thanks for waiting. There's more to come!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Brick and Blossom zoomed to the police station in civil silence. They didn't ignore each other, but it was quite clear that neither of them want to be around each other. They landed on the station's roof in minutes, and after meeting the sheriff, Brick hopped into the pilot's seat of the helicopter. Blossom looked around her for a moment, soaking in the warm spring sunlight. Brick suddenly cleared his throat. Blossom shook her head and slid into the passenger's seat.

Moments later, the helicopter was in the sky, heading north to Chicago. Blossom pulled open her bag, pulled out a small notebook and a pen and started writing. Brick glanced at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm keeping a journal," Blossom replied simply. Brick chuckled.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Blossom wrote for a few minutes, then closed the notebook and put it away. She sighed and looked around. She watched Brick as he steered, pressing buttons every now and then.

"Where'd you learn to fly?" she asked.

"Well see," Brick started, grinning. "I was born with this really cool superpower—"

"The helicopter, Brick," Blossom snapped. Brick glanced at her.

"Well, maybe you should be more specific next time."

"Where did you learn to fly _a_ _helicopter_?" Blossom asked, emphasizing the last two words.

"Well there was that time a really long time ago that you Powerpuffs gave us a plane, and a tank, and a ship, and we had blast! Remember?" Brick was still grinning.

"Yes, I do remember," Blossom said with a sigh. She rolled her eyes looked away from him. She was utterly irritated now. Brick huffed.

"Military."

Blossom looked him curiously and said, "Military? You were legit?"

"Yeah," Brick said matter-of-factly. "I wasn't made to be a petty criminal, Bee."

"Don't call me 'Bee,'" Blossom commanded. Brick shrugged.

"Well, we're partners now. I can call you whatever I want," he retorted.

"No, you can't. Just call me 'Blossom,'" Blossom said.

"Whatever, Bee," Brick chuckled.

Blossom and Brick sat quietly, Brick flipping switches or buttons occasionally. Blossom exhaled heavily again.

"So, military…" she began, looking at Brick to continue. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, but he spoke anyway.

"Joined the Air Force when I was old enough to look eighteen. Forged an I.D., joined in, and was immediately hot shit. They were even happier when they found out about my powers."

"You forged an I.D.?" Blossom cried.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly any real age, am I?" Brick replied.

"It's still illegal," Blossom said. Brick rolled his eyes.

"And it was to join the army. Christ, they figured it out anyway, and they didn't give a shit. They were just happy I was there. What's your problem?"

"Nothing. I guess it's cool that you joined the military," Blossom gave up. She looked at him again. "What about your brothers?"

"Butch joined the Marines for a while, but got tired of it and quit. Wasn't good enough for him," Brick explained.

"Sounds like Buttercup."

"Did she do the same thing?"

"No, because she thought the military would freak out about her powers. She joined the NYPD instead. She thought it was fun."

"Sounds like her," Brick agreed. "Anyways, Boomer went traveling. Didn't hear much from him over the past few years. I have no idea where he's been, really, just that he knows shitloads now about everything. A little annoying actually."

"Didn't think he was the smart one," Blossom chuckled to herself. Brick threw her a dirty look.

"You calling him stupid?"

"Not really. Just didn't think he was smartest of you three," she said, smirking. Brick's lip curled.

"Who do you think is the smartest, then?" he asked.

"Mojo."

They sat through another nasty silence. Blossom stared into the skies, wondering where they were, but decided against asking Brick. She then sat, deep in thought. She thought about Boomer, apparently knowing a lot of information – so why wasn't she working with him? Certainly she could handle him better than she could handle _the_ _asshole next to her_. Brick probably has something else going for him, though. And thankfully, she's not with Butch, either, come to think of it. He'd probably be much worse, and less interesting to talk to. But Brick wasn't that interesting to talk to, either. Blossom still couldn't help but feel fascinated at the lives of the boys. They've been enemies for _years_, ever since the boys were created, and here they were, a team, working to save their lives…

_Wait_, Blossom stopped.

"Brick, how old are you? Technically?" Blossom demanded.

"Geez, I don't know…" Brick said, flustered.

"You and your brothers were made after my sisters and I turned six," Blossom began at top speed. "We did thirteen years of school, and we graduated three years ago, which would only make you fifteen, and that would make me sixteen."

"Yeah?" Brick eyed her.

"Well, the Chemical X for my sisters and I is supposed to 'expire'—" Blossom gestured quotes in the air. "— when we're twenty-one. If we're sixteen, we have at least five years left!"

"Okay, great, I guess, what about me?" Brick asked, clearly not following.

"Brick, if you were fifteen, and the Chemical X running through your veins expired after_ fifteen years_ like Mojo Jojo said, _shouldn't you be dead by now_?"

Brick stared at Blossom, rather worried.

"That doesn't make sense, I'm right here."

"Exactly! It doesn't make sense!"

"Maybe they meant, like, biologically or something," Brick suggested.

"You'd still be dead. You'd have died when you're biologically fifteen, as opposed to literally fifteen," Blossom explained.

"Okay, fine, then I don't know what's wrong," Brick said irritably. Blossom groaned.

"The math doesn't add up. This whole thing is ridiculous! I knew something was wrong…"

"You know, maybe it's considering the chemical itself. Not when we were created, or biologically, or anything. Wasn't your chemical official, like in a bottle?" Brick looked at Blossom, who nodded. "Well see, I was made from a damn toilet bowl. My Chemical X was improv. Maybe your chemical was about five years old when you were created, hence why you came about five-years-old, right?"

"Right, but you came out five-years-old, too!" Blossom exclaimed.

"I don't know, then!" Brick shouted. Blossom didn't care, though. She quickly flipped the top of her left wrist cuff and tapped the call button. The Professor's voice immediately sounded through the cockpit. Blossom watched the Professor's face digitalize on the tiny screen.

"Yes, Blossom?"

"Professor, when you said the Chemical X expired in 21 years, what did you mean specifically?" Blossom asked, slowly.

"When you turn twenty-one, it will expire, Blossom. And with the boys, there's will expire when they turn twenty," he explained.

"But Professor, I'm technically turning sixteen, and the boys are turning fifteen. Biologically, we're about twenty and twenty-one, but it still doesn't seem right…"

"Blossom," Professor Utonium interrupted. "Consider that you all were born at age five. Consider that when you turn twenty-one, it would be your literal lifetime plus those years."

"But Professor, then the Rowdyruff Boys would be dead now, anyway, using the same logic."

"No, Blossom," Professor said. "Just trust Mojo and me. We know what we're doing. In twenty-nine days, the chemical will expire. Now, please call when more important matters come up. I don't want to talk about this."

"But, Professor!"

"Good-bye, Blossom."

The Professor's face blacked out. Blossom stared at the cuff an extra moment, and then closed it.

"It just doesn't make sense," she said. "And why won't he listen to me?"

"He's stressed? Like the rest of us, maybe?" Brick recommended. Blossom crossed her arms, falling back into thought again.

"We still need to worry about the mission," Brick said. "And we're near Chicago. So don't worry about it."

"But the whole mission is based on that fact. It's pointless to continue if we're going to be fine, since I'm pretty sure it's all false anyway," Blossom said.

"Just because you think something, doesn't make it right. And there's still other things we need to focus on besides our shit. So just forget for now. We live, we live. We die, we die. Don't worry about it."

Blossom stared at him, thoughtfully. She pursed her lips, sat back, and said nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – _nothing_. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

Oh, and another thing: these next few chapters were supposed to be split into three sections, telling the story of each "team", for lack of a better term. Then I realized I wrote them too long to make one big chapter, so they will just be separate chapters. I might even just throw a few together every now and then, if they're short enough.

This chapter also has something special: fanart!  
Go to hermeown. deviantart .com. (but obviously, take out the spaces -_-) Check out the art, and there's a picture relevant to this scene. :)  
( is not letting me type out the entire link. O.o)  
That's also my deviantart, and there's some other related art, if you're interested. The story is also posted there, if it matters.

Anyways, thanks for waiting. There's more to come!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Buttercup avoided Butch the entire flight to the cave. She zoomed, and remained several yards in front of him, no matter how fast he tried to keep up. Soon, Buttercup skidded to a stop before the cave entrance. Butch landed gently behind her. Buttercup completely ignored him, starting her way into the cave.

"So, um, last time I checked, this was a team effort, right?" Butch asked. Buttercup did not even look at him, and entered the cave. Butch ambled in after her.

"You know, I remember you being much louder," said Butch. "Are you sick or something?" Buttercup still did not reply.

The two quietly walked through the cave a moment, Buttercup several feet ahead of Butch. They surveyed their surroundings: the cave was dark, shadowy, and moist, with small neon lamps parallel on each wall. The lights were for any tourists and citizens who felt like visiting another interesting natural wonder. They stopped about a mile or so into the cave. The walls were obviously rocky, though very smooth in some places. Stalactites hung high in the ceilings, dripping dew on the team below. Rocks ranging from tiny pebbles to enormous boulders sat haphazardly on the ground, making uneven pathways and natural staircases.

"Wow, BC, you sure have such phenomenal things to say, being all silent and shit. Although I think it would be better if you were less of a fucking bitch—"

_WHAM!_

Buttercup slammed Butch against the cavern wall, dust and pebbles flying into the air like smoke. A few stalactites up above fell, though luckily not around the two. Buttercup held Butch against the wall, her fists clamped onto his shirt, pushing into his chest. She spoke to him, barely raising her voice above a menacing hiss.

"I am _not_ going to put up with your bullshit. We are _not_ buddies, and we will _not_ be friends when we're through with this. So if you don't mind, I suggest you stick to your own thing, and I'll stick with mine. Got it?"

She dropped him and stormed away from him. After a second, she stopped, and turned to him.

"And _don't_ call me 'BC.'"

Butch stood and brushed off his shirt, not taking his blazing dark green eyes off Buttercup. He sniffed, and then—

_WHAM!_

Butch slammed Buttercup into the wall, holding her up with a single hand on her neck. She struggled to breath, ripping her fingernails at his arm. Without a wince, he said,

"_Don't_ slam against a wall… unless you've got a damn good reason."

He dropped her. The two glared at each other. Buttercup took a few shaky breathes, rubbing her throat. She scrambled up.

"Fucker," she spat. "I can still kick your ass any day, little boy."

"Ohh, I'm not so little anymore, babe," Butch retorted with a smirk.

Buttercup scoffed.

"Fucking pig!"

"Hey, you set me up for that one."

"Whatever." Buttercup stomped away, still rubbing her throat.

The two walked a while longer, completely silent. Buttercup looked around at the walls, pretending to look for something. _I'm looking for signs of life, right?_ She thought. _But what life? Animals? People? Monsters? _She didn't know. It all looked pretty much like rock and grime, with only a few bats or rodents. Buttercup had to admit, she felt a bit lost for this mission. This didn't even seem like it would be bad at all… except for Butch, of course.

Buttercup also had to admit that she was more interested in Butch than she thought. _Not like that, of course,_ Buttercup reassured herself. She still noticed that Butch was very muscular, a bit stocky, but overall more built than his brothers. He wasn't exactly a body-builder, but he obviously spent more time exercising than most people. He also had a look that was uncannily like the one Buttercup herself saw in the mirror every day – intriguing, yet intimidating. Buttercup was less interested in his appearance, though, than what he had been up to these past years. The last time she saw him was when she was about thirteen. It wasn't anything interesting; just the Powerpuff Girls, when they were still a team, beating the life out of the Rowdyruff Boys, when they were still a troublesome trio. But after that, she heard nothing about him until the other day. Buttercup considered simply asking Butch what has happened, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"So, uh, what are we supposed to be doing again?" Butch asked. Buttercup sighed and stopped walking. She turned around to face him.

"Looking for something. That's about all I know," she answered.

"Oh, great," Butch said.

"What?" Buttercup asked, her voice rising.

"So neither of us has any idea what the hell we're doing?" he asked. Buttercup pursed her lips and looked away.

"I guess not."

"Alright!" Butch said, sitting on a nearby rock. "I call break time." He opened his bag, and pulled out a little carton. He reached in the pouch on his belt and pulled out a lighter. He then took out a single cigarette from the carton, threw the carton back in his bag, and lit up. He took a long drag.

"You smoke?" Buttercup asked.

"Obviously," Butch said, raising his eyebrows. Buttercup snorted.

"Can I bum one off you?"

Butch stared at her. Then he took the carton out of his bag and tossed it to her. Buttercup pulled her own lighter out of her pouch, took a cigarette out with her mouth, and tossed the carton back. She lit the cigarette and inhaled.

"Didn't think a Powerpuff Girl would smoke," Butch chuckled.

"I'd actually prefer that it didn't get out, thanks," Buttercup said.

"Secret's safe," Butch said with a nod. Buttercup looked at him strangely. She didn't really expect that answer.

"Why are you being so… nice?" Buttercup asked, sitting down on the ground.

"Why not?" Butch stared at her, that same look Buttercup thought about earlier.

"Because. You're… You're you. And I'm me. I think that should be reason enough," Buttercup explained.

"I'd like to say the past is in the past, don't you think?" Butch asked.

"Do you ever reply in real sentences, _not_ questions?" Buttercup retorted.

"I wish you'd stop being a bitch," Butch said.

"_I wish you'd stop existing!_" Buttercup cried. She jabbed the cigarette out and stood up.

"Oh, well, look, just wait thirty days, and it'll be a reality!" Butch said angrily. He threw his cigarette down and stomped it out. Buttercup was suddenly filled with remorse, and utterly thrown off by these feelings.

"Well, yeah—"

"Yeah?" Butch interrupted. He stormed over to Buttercup and put his face uncomfortably close to Buttercup's. "I think I realized being an asshole isn't exactly going to keep me alive. Maybe you should consider the same thing." He turned away. Buttercup was, to her surprise, rooted to the spot. She huffed, and said,

"I don't like you."

"Not really my fault, is it?" Butch said, glancing at her.

"I don't know. You didn't exactly give the best impression back in the day," Buttercup began. Butch rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but that was back in the day, right? I was fucking, I don't know, ten?" he said.

"Thirteen was the last time I saw you. Then you just disappeared. Where've you been anyway?" Buttercup questioned.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to know."

Butch sat back on the boulder. He asked, "Would it make you hate me less?"

"Maybe."

"Marines."

Buttercup raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. It did make sense… then again, he would have been about twelve.

"You became a Marine after I last saw you," she asked suspiciously.

"No," Butch answered. "We just didn't bother doing stupid shit anymore."

"You and your brothers?"

"Yeah."

"So you suddenly stopped your life in crime after just another beating from me?" Buttercup smirked. "I'm speechless."

"Don't get cute," Butch said, a single eyebrow raised. "It's just smarter to move on to bigger and better things than small stuff in Townsville."

Buttercup looked at him curiously.

"Then what did you do?"

"None of your business. All you need to know is that I wasn't a problem for a few years, joined the Marines, quit, did my own thing for a few more years, and now I'm here," Butch's voice ended with a final note.

"Still sounds suspicious," Buttercup said. "And it doesn't make me hate you less."

"Too bad. We're still in this together."

Buttercup frowned. Butch looked at her, waiting for her to do something. Buttercup simply sighed and starting walking forward.

"What are you doing?" Butch asked. Buttercup turned around, walking backwards.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked back. "You coming or what?"

"Oh, are you admitting that I'm right?" Butch grinned. Buttercup made a noise, and turned around, walking normal again.

"I never said anything."

Butch chuckled to himself and followed her.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N – I figured it was better that I, you know, explained some things. I like to cuss like a sailor; this is why this is rated M. Seriously. There will also be one scene that includes sex, although – you – see – nothing. I didn't feel it was necessary. It is implied sex, and the event will later be talked about, but not in graphic detail.

So, because of the rules here, this is rated M. I would rather rate it T, seeing as I think most teens can deal with a lot of strong language and implied sex, but prefers it otherwise. Sorry.

And of course, all characters and specific places belong to Craig McCracken. "Harvard" belongs to Harvard, and if New York is like Kentucky and decided to copyright their name, I suppose "New York" belongs to New York, too. Other than that everything is pretty much mine.

Oh! And this is first draft. Please excuse minor grammatical mistakes. Any questions or comments, feel free to read and review.

Enjoy!

Oh, and another thing: these next few chapters were supposed to be split into three sections, telling the story of each "team", for lack of a better term. Then I realized I wrote them too long to make one big chapter, so they will just be separate chapters. I might even just throw a few together every now and then, if they're short enough.

Anyways, thanks for waiting. There's more to come!

**Chapter 8**

As they flew to the port, Bubbles and Boomer were not fighting or hating each other, surprisingly. Actually, they were _completely_ awkward. They tried not to make eye contact, but sure enough, they did. A lot. They flew next to each other, a few feet between them, and every now and then, one would catch the other's eye, and both of them would quickly look away.

They made it the port in a few short minutes, and Boomer led them to a decent-sized cabin cruiser. Bubbles leapt into the cabin, taking the seat a few feet away from the helm. The seat was simply a comfortable, padded bench, that allowed Bubbles to place her next to her, and lay out the biology books she brought along. They weren't biology books _per se_, but simply books about animals, islands, and the sea. Blossom had bought them for her before college, since Bubbles was going to study zoology anyway. Bubbles had found them useful throughout school, and imagined they would be useful now.

Boomer untied the boat from the dock, and a little bit later, sauntered into the cabin. Avoiding eye contact again, Boomer sat at the helm, started the boat, and pulled into the sea.

They drove for a while, Boomer staring straight ahead into the empty waters. Bubbles tried to read her books, but every now and then, she would look up and observe Boomer. He had sandy-blonde hair that swept past his eyes in a messy, shaggy hairdo. He was very lean, with a hint of muscles, visible through his tight black tank top. His skin was much darker than his brothers, and Bubbles wondered if he either went tanning or spent a lot of time in the sun.

Boomer suddenly glanced at Bubbles, who squeaked and put her nose back in her book. Boomer bit his lip and continued looking forward. Bubbles slowly looked up, staring at Boomer again. Then, Boomer looked at her again.

"WHAT?!" he cried.

"What!" Bubbles squeaked.

"You keep looking at me!" Boomer squeaked back.

"Am not!" Bubbles yelled.

"Are, too!" Boomer said.

"Am not!"

"Are, too!"

"Well, you're being weird!" Bubbles said.

"I am not!" Boomer retorted.

"Are, too," Bubbles said.

"Am not!"

"Are, too!"

"Am not!"

"Are, too!"

"Christ!" Boomer spat. He turned off the motorboat, letting it glide through the water. He spun in his chair to face Bubbles.

"What's your problem?" he asked her.

"You're Boomer," she replied. She held the book tightly in front of her, almost as protection.

"Really? I didn't know," Boomer said, exasperated.

"Well, no, you're just… you're a Rowdyruff Boy!" Bubbles cried.

"Yeah, but… no…" Boomer stammered.

"I don't know, this… this is just weird," Bubbles said. She loosened her grip on the book. "I'm… I'm just…"

"Scared shitless?" Boomer grimaced. He spun back around, facing the sea again.

"I guess so," Bubbles said. She closed her book and laid it next to her. "I'm sorry. I'm really just… scared."

"Yeah," Boomer agreed. He looked back at Bubbles. "Me, too."

"I don't want to fight with you," Bubbles said. Boomer shook his head.

"I don't either," he said. He slowly spun back in his chair to face her. "This is really awkward."

"Yeah," Bubbles said with a nod. Naturally, they sat for a few minutes in silence – a long, painfully awkward silence. Bubbles rubbed her arm.

"Boomer—"

"What?" Boomer jumped. Bubbles gave him a strange look.

"I just wanted to ask a question," she said slowly. Boomer chuckled and nodded.

"Well, uh, go ahead."

"Why are you jumpy?" Bubbles questioned. Boomer chuckled again.

"No reason," he answered. His eyes darted around the room. Bubbles noticed his leg shaking. Boomer glanced at Bubbles again, and asked "Was that your question?"

"No, actually," Bubbles said. Then, Bubbles moved in her seat, and Boomer jumped dramatically.

"What are you doing?" Bubbles shouted. Boomer glared at her.

"You moved!"

"So?"

"I don't know!" Boomer sat back in his chair, breathing long and heavy, trying desperately to calm down.

"Are you okay?" Bubbles asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," Boomer replied, unconvincingly. Bubbles stared at him for a moment… then it clicked. She giggled.

"You're afraid of me?" she said more than asked, a little bit of ridicule in her voice. Boomer threw her a dirty look.

"No! I'm just… nervous. That's all," he explained. Bubbles giggled some more.

"I don't believe you," she said.

"Yeah, well, _you're a Powerpuff Girl_," Boomer said. "You've been beating the crap outta me for years. I don't know what to except from you."

"Seriously?" Bubbles laughed. "You're afraid I'm going to do something? You haven't done anything."

"I know," Boomer said. "And I'm not afraid of you. I… I don't know." Boomer relaxed a bit more, and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked up at Bubbles, as she sat Indian-style on the bench. He looked at him curiously with her big blue eyes. Her hair, held back into two small, loose pigtails, blew lightly in the sea breeze. Boomer smiled weakly.

"So, um, yeah… how are you?" he asked. Bubbles giggled again. Boomer frowned, starting to get annoyed.

"Scared shitless," Bubbles replied, cursing uncharacteristically. She grinned. Boomer raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to take the situation.

"Okay, that's… that's great…"

"Why are you so tan?" Bubbles interrogated. Boomer's uncertainty practically overflowed. He was utterly perplexed by her.

"Well, I'm in the sun a lot," he explained. "I've been traveling for a while now."

"Where've you been?" asked Bubbles.

"Ehh, everywhere, really."

"Wow," Bubbles whispered. She didn't even know why she was so curious. But she wanted to know more. "Where exactly?"

"Everywhere," Boomer insisted. "Lately I've been in Africa. Before that, Australia."

"Why?" Bubbles asked, suspicious. Boomer chuckled.

"Honestly? You won't believe me," he smiled.

"Try me," Bubbles prompted. Boomed sighed.

"I just wanted to see animals, mostly. Nothing criminal, even. I've just traveled all over the place by myself, just… seeing everything. I just like animals."

Bubbles did not speak, but just looked at him admirably; she was totally fascinated. Boomer was still confused, but felt himself calming down the more they talked. Though no matter how calm was becoming, he felt uncomfortable being the topic of conversation.

"What about you?" he asked. Bubbles blinked.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

Bubbles didn't really want to talk about herself, either. She was more interested in other people, and talking about herself just seemed selfish. She answered him anyway.

"I've just been home. Not at home, exactly, but Townsville. I go to school. I'm studying zoology and veterinary. I like animals, too."

"Animals," Boomer repeated. He smiled, genuinely, for the first time that day. "So we both like animals."

"I guess so," Bubbles said.

The two of them felt much better than how they felt only an hour or so ago. Boomer turned around, started up the boat, and began steering again. Bubbles quietly watched him. They sped through the water for a while, and in about an hour, after some more meaningless chitchat between the two, they noticed a small, shadow on the horizon.

"That's it," Boomer said. Bubbles stood up. They stared out into the ocean, watching the little shadow grow bigger and bigger. They were soon so close that Bubbles could pick out the colors on the island. Then suddenly, Boomer stopped the boat. Bubbles look at him.

"Why did you stop?" she asked. Boomer took the key out of the ignition, grabbed his bag, and hoisted it over his back. He stood up and walked around Bubbles, who followed him with her eyes.

"We're getting off," Boomer announced. "Grab your stuff."

"Why are we getting off the boat?" Bubbles inquired, grabbing her things regardless.

"We're can't leave traces of us being here," Boomer explained. He leapt into the air. Bubbles let herself hover in the air after him.

"What are doing with the boat?" she asked. Boomer flew higher, Bubbles following, and they stared at the boat. Then, when they were high enough, Boomer blasted the boat with his laser vision. Bubbles gasped.

"It's no big deal," Boomer laughed. "I have plenty of 'em. Come on, let's go."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N - _Je suis désolée, monsieur. Est-ce que nous retardons?:_ I'm sorry, sir. Are we late?

**Chapter 9**

About fifteen minutes later, Blossom could make out the familiar Chicago skyline, the one she only remembered from books and movies. It was slight light out, but only just barely. She saw the sun setting on her left, as tiny lights twinkled in the city like colorful stars. Brick and Blossom flew closer and closer, and before they realized it, were hovering over an enormously wide building. Blossom saw below a few ambulances drive into the building.

"We're here," Brick said. He fiddled with some more buttons and levers, and the chopper lowered onto the building, right above a big yellow H in a thick yellow circle. Brick turned the helicopter off, and he and Blossom waited until the blades above stopped rotating. Blossom grabbed her bag and leapt out, Brick leaping out after her. Blossom instantly looked around, and noticed a man in a nice suit, waiting for them several feet away. Blossom was just about to say something, before Brick pushed her aside and ran towards the man.

_"__Je suis désolée, monsieur. Est-ce que nous retardons?_" he said. He and the man quickly exchanged some more words, leaving Blossom mildly surprised. _French?_ She thought. She watched as they spoke, and Brick slipped something into the man's hand. The man nodded, they said a quick "_salut__!_" and the man walked over to the helicopter. Brick hurried over to Blossom.

"Let's go!"

He beckoned her to the side of the building. Blossom followed him wordlessly, though she was filled with questions. Brick looked around, making sure the coast was clear, and leapt off the building. Blossom followed suit, and the two gently hovered down into an alley. Brick then led the way through a short labyrinth of alleyways, and finally stopped at a broken window in a dead-end.

"What's this?" Blossom asked. Brick opened the window, making sure not to break any more glass, and slipped inside the building. He turned around.

"Our hideout."

Brick slipped out of sight. Blossom surveyed the window frame, frowning.

"Hideout?" she repeated.

"Just get in here!" Brick called. Blossom groaned and slid through the window.

She stepped into a clean, though fairly dusty bedroom, with one twin bed and a loveseat. The bed was located next to a side table with a shade-less lamp, and a few feet away stood a beaten old bureau. Near the window were a small table, two chairs, a single counter, and a refrigerator. The whole room was dark, and only when Brick turned the lamp on did Blossom notice everything was dark wood and gray fabric. The only bit of color lay on the peeling, light pink and mustard yellow wallpaper.

Blossom was absolutely appalled.

"This is disgusting! Why are we here?" she demanded. Brick rolled his eyes.

"We needed a place to stay that couldn't be detected. This is an old, abandoned apartment. The door over there—" He pointed to door near the loveseat. "—is locked, but I don't even want to know what's on the other side. The bathroom—" He pointed to the door a few feet away from Blossom. "—isn't too great either, but it'll do."

Blossom pursed her lips, trying not to breath the rank, mothball odor emanating the room. She chose not to speak any further, and took a place at the little table. She watched Brick, as he tested the loveseat by prodding it with his knee. He decided it was safe, and gingerly sat down. He looked over at Blossom, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes?"

Blossom shook her head and looked away. She placed her bag on the table and sifted through it. She pulled out an apple, a plastic butter knife, her notebook, and her pen. She rubbed her hand on the back of her notebook, and placed it on her lap. She placed the apple on her notebook and began carefully cutting the apple into slices. Brick laughed.

"Can't just eat, can you?" he asked. Blossom simply eyed him and continued slicing the apple. When she was done, she put the slices on her bag, wiped the notebook with her hand, opened it, and began writing in it. She would grab an apple slice every now and then, eating them in two quick bites. Brick was irritated with the pickiness, but didn't bother questioning it.

"What are you writing?" Brick asked instead. Blossom huffed.

"I told you, I'm keeping a journal," she said.

"Yeah, but what are you writing about _precisely_?" Brick asked, emphasizing the last word.

"How terrible this apartment is," Blossom snapped.

"Well, this was the best I could do without being too obvious," Brick retorted. "I'd like to see you do better."

"I probably could!" Blossom exclaimed. Brick just sighed, completely apathetic. She glanced at the date on the page: March 13. _Day 2, _she reminded herself. She frowned, and momentarily wished she had more time. Why did Professor tell them about everything only yesterday? Then she remembered – it might not be "Day 2" after all. The days are probably not numbered at all.

"I'm telling you, it doesn't add up," she said, slamming the notebook closed and tossing it on the table.

"You're still on about that?" Brick questioned. "Can you just drop it?"

"No! This is important! It has to do with our lives. Don't you care?" Blossom asked angrily.

"Of course I care about my life," Brick replied. "But if you haven't noticed, there are other things that need to be fixed. Let's put our own problems on backburner, kay?"

"What else needs to be fixed?" Blossom asked.

"I don't know!" Brick yelled. "Maybe you're fucking bullshit with me?"

"Watch your language!" Blossom scolded.

"Don't tell me what to do, _Blossom_," Brick said, saying Blossom's name rather disdainfully. He sat up on the couch, corssing his arms defensively. "I'm sick of you being a bitch." Blossom sneered at him.

"I am not! You're just… so… utterly disagreeable. You're sarcastic, irritating, contemptuous—"

"What about you, princess?" Brick turned on her. "You've been exactly the same way!"

"Oh, how?" Blossom interrogated.

"Maybe not exactly the same, but you're still no prize yourself. _You_ won't trust me, _you_ question everything about _everything—_"

"Someone needs to be skeptical, especially when things don't add up! And you've never given me a reason to trust you. I mean, who was that guy? How did you get this place? And how do you know French?" Blossom's voice rose with every question. Brick opened his mouth, about to say something, and then shut it again. He sat for a moment, deep in thought.

"Your professor trusts me. Shouldn't that be enough?" Brick asked calmly.

"No offense to the Professor, but he hasn't always had the best judgment," Blossom replied bitterly.

"Okay, then what about me? You think I was excited when Mojo told me I had to work with you? No. Not at all. I was pissed. But he had to talk me and my brothers into it, and your professor had to help, too. But eventually, I believed them. I – your sworn enemy, you're match in plenty more ways than one – eventually believed them. _I_ trust them. I wouldn't be here, trying my damnedest not to try and kill you, if I didn't. And I'm still not happy about working with you, but we're here together, and I haven't tried to anything. I'm not even going to. This is too big, bigger than the gripes between us. If that enough?"

Blossom did not look at him, but Brick knew she was considering his words. It was nice, he thought, that at least Blossom was somewhat reasonable. If she wasn't reasonable, at least she listened. Blossom suddenly looked at him, her face holding back resentment and contempt. It was almost painful to see how much anger she was withholding.

"I'm not going to say I'm one-hundred percent trustful, but… I'll take that."

Blossom stood up and walked over to him. She stared him straight in the eyes, her expression still stony, and held out her hand. Brick looked into her eyes, then at her hand, and shook it.

"Just business?" she offered.

"Just business."

Blossom carefully sat on the couch next to him. Her face softened a little as she breathed, slowly and carefully. Brick, not taking his eyes off her, slowly slid back into the seat of the loveseat.

"Who was that man?" Blossom asked, apparently trying to change the subject.

"Henri Cabrel. He's from Marseilles. I know from… around…" Brick's voice floated off. Blossom raised her eyebrows, expecting more. Brick glanced at her. "Fine. He's a friend of the Guerellis."

"Guerellis?" Blossom asked.

"They're, um, a family."

"Family?" Blossom's eyebrows continued to raise higher. Brick wondered if this was just a Blossom trait, or was it in all women? He swore for a second that every woman seemed to have phenomenal eyebrow muscles.

"Well, see…" he began. "Did they – the Professor or Mojo – mention me having connetions?"

Blossom clicked her tongue. "So you mean 'family?'"

"As in—"

"Mafia?"

Blossom simply clicked her tongue again. Brick looked at her, a little bit in disbelief.

"How'd you guess?" he asked.

"It makes sense, I suppose. It's not too hard to figure out. Is that how you know French? And I thought you were legit?" Blossom was still obviously trying to siphon trust from Brick.

"I _was_ legit… for a while. But you know, use your talents as best as you can, wouldn't you agree?" Brick asked.

"Crime isn't exactly the best," Blossom said with shrug.

"But it's what I'm better at. And I happen to be an awesome underworld diplomat, if I do say so myself," Brick said with a smirk.

"A diplomat?" Blossom chuckled. "You were never the negotiating type."

"I'm just like you, babe, only with a dick," Brick retorted. Blossom gave him a dirty look. He continued, "So if there's any thought that you yourself could be a good diplomat, then you can definitely agree that I am."

"Okay, fine," Blossom agreed. "Still doesn't explain the French."

"I just happen to know it, and it's useful when trading with French gangsters. Now, are you satisfied with everything about me?" Brick looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would at least be done with the interrogation.

"No. But, I have no further questions, and I'd rather talk about what we need to do for the mission," she answered.

"Thank God!" Brick exclaimed. He stood up and took the bag of his shoulder. Then he added, "You oughta be a lawyer."

"I'm working on that," Blossom said, with the first smile she had all day. Brick laughed.

"Not surprised."

"So what do we need to do? I have barely any information, so I'm guessing you know what's going on?" Blossom asked, though less demanding and sounding much nicer than before.

"Yes, actually, I do," Brick said with a nod. He pulled a wallet out from his bag. He unfolded it, pulled out a large wad of cash, and handed several crisp, green bills to Blossom. She took them, but grimaced.

"What's this?"

"Shopping money," Brick replied matter-of-factly.

"What for?"

"They didn't tell you? We have a party to go to."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Buttercup lay on the hard, wet floor, her head resting on an equally hard, wet rock. A small fire burned a foot or two away, illuminating the dark cavern. Butch sat on the other side, puffing away at another cigarette. Buttercup tried to nap, but her thoughts couldn't stop racing. It had been several days since they entered the cave. The neon lights disappeared days ago, and the two resorted to using the powerful flashlights on their belts. Unfortunately, the more time they spent wandering around, the less morale Buttercup had. They haven't had any clues, or even a remote sign of anything. She wasn't completely sure how Butch felt, but considering the cigarette butts littering the ground around her, she was sure he wasn't doing too well either.

The past few days were spent in either complete silence or bitter banter. Butch had a blast mocking and teasing Buttercup, always finding some clever way to get under her skin. She was still not pleased with him around, but she was getting used to it. In fact, it was sometimes comforting. The hostility kept her energized, and the occasional fistfight got some of her anger out. He was still mostly irritating, but Buttercup, despite herself, was still grateful for the company.

Buttercup rolled over on her other side, and glanced at Butch. He was now chewing on some jerky, staring into the darkness. Buttercup sighed and sat up. Butch glanced at her.

"You sleep?" he asked. Buttercup simply chuckled. She opened her backpack and pulled out some crackers.

"I obviously haven't seen anything," Butch said, nodding forward into the dark abyss that was the cave.

"Didn't think you did," Buttercup said quietly. She nibbled on a few crackers, staring into the fire. She thought for a moment, and then looked up at Butch.

"Do you… do you want to go back?" she asked. Butch turned his head slowly towards her, his eyebrows raised.

"Go back?"

"Yeah," Buttercup pursed her lips and looked away. Butch stared at her.

"Are you nuts?"

"This is pointless!" Buttercup exclaimed. "It's been like what, a week?"

"Six days," Butch corrected.

"Alright, whatever, six days. But we haven't found anything. Not one damn thing! We're just wasting time in here, when we could be doing something else, _anything _else."

"Like what?" Butch asked incredulously.

"I don't know. Anything," Buttercup replied. She really didn't know what else, but she was sick of being in here.

"I don't think we can," Butch said.

"Why not?"

"Because… I don't know…" Butch's voice trailed off.

"Ha!" Buttercup cried. "You agree, don't you?"

"Agree with what? I don't think we should leave," Butch said. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

"You're pissed, too. Don't lie to me." Buttercup glared at Butch, waiting for him to admit it. He simply snorted at her and took a long drag on the cigarette.

"This is so pointless," Buttercup said. She sank back against the cave wall, and looked up at the ceiling. There was a short silence, as Butch smoked and Buttercup stared above them.

"Look," Butch started. "Let's just give a few days."

"Fine."

Another silence followed. Butch soon crunched out his cigarette, then immediately lit up another one. Buttercup put her crackers away, having completely lost her appetite. The silence lasted for quite some time, until Butch flipped open his left wrist cuff, checking the time.

"Think we should go on then?" He didn't wait for an answer, and stomped out the fire. He hit the flashlight on his belt, illuminating the cave brighter than the little fire ever could. Buttercup stood up and hoisted her bag on her back. She hit the flashlight on her own belt, and the two began yet another trek through the cave.

After only about an hour of walking, Butch stopped. He lit up another cigarette, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth. Buttercup sneered.

"You're like chimney," she commented.

"Shit, you smoke, too. You've been bumming 'em off me since we got in here," Butch retorted.

"Yeah, well I'm not chain-smoking am I?"

"Fuck off," Butch grumbled.

"Fuck you!" Buttercup snapped.

"You wish."

"Oh, for the love of God," Buttercup said, rolling her eyes. She sped up ahead of him, a vein beginning to pulsate near her temple.

"Do you have to rag on me about every fucking thing?" Butch demanded, his voice rising. Buttercup stopped and turned around.

"I don't rag on you about anything, I only point out facts, just so you know," Buttercup replied.

"Here's a fact: you're a bitch," Butch blew smoke in her face.

"You're an asshole," Buttercup said matter-of-factly.

"You're so creative," Butch smiled. "Can you think of anything better?"

"Oh, I can," Buttercup sneered. "Dickwad? Fucktard? Asswipe? Any better?"

"Oh, I like the second one myself."

"Alright. Fuck you, you fucking fucktard," Buttercup's lip curled. Butch stood before her, his face slightly bemused. Then his face twisted, a smile growing on his lips. He laughed, right in Buttercup's face.

"You're cute, you know that?"

Buttercup seethed and turned on her heel. She stomped away, her face burning. _Seriously?_ she asked herself. Even her words were failing, just like the entire situation they were both in. Butch flicked the cigarette away and ran after her.

"Come on, you have to admit, that was great!" he called.

"Shut up," Buttercup muttered.

"No, really, redundancy much?"

"I said shut up."

"Seriously, if I like, give you another try, will you say something as epically bad as—"

_PWOOSH!_

Buttercup threw an enormous boulder at Butch, slamming him into the ground. The boulder smashed into several large pieces, but managed to successfully crush Butch. He recovered within seconds, pushing the pieces off his body. He stood up, and frantically brushed the dirt, dust, and specks of blood off his body.

"What the fuck, Buttercup?" he shouted.

"I told you to shut up!" Buttercup screamed.

"You—" Butch zoomed toward her in a bright green flash. He slammed into her body, both of them falling to the ground. He threw punches left and right, but Buttercup dodged and countered every one of them. They rolled on the ground, desperately, violently struggling against each other. Buttercup eventually got the upper hand and rolled on top of Butch. She threw one good blow to his face.

"I think asshole is my favorite," she said, standing up. Butch scrambled up, rubbing his cheek hard.

"God, I hate you—"

Butch stopped. Buttercup smiled at him triumphantly.

"I win."

"Shut up," Butch whispered. Buttercup looked at him, slightly confused. Butch huffed. "Listen."

"I don't hear anything," Buttercup said, sliding her hand on her hip.

"Well, not when you're talking, just shut up and listen," Butch persisted. Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"You're an idiot, I don't hear—"

Her voice broke off – heard it. Butch looked at her and nodded. They looked around them, looking for the location of the sound.

"It's over there," Buttercup said, pointing to the smashed pieces of the boulder.

"It sounds… electronic?" Butch suggested. The two slowly snuck over to the boulder pieces, knelt down, and moved pieces around.

Buttercup gasped.

Lodged in one of the pieces was a small box with a little lens and a tiny blinking red light. It was whirring, the lens flicking up and down, the casing around it packed down into the box.

"A camera," Butch said. He looked at Buttercup, who stared at it intently. Then she vaporized it, with one quick laser eye beam. Butch snarled.

"What did you do that for?" he yelled. Buttercup pointed.

"It was watching us," she said, a hint of paranoia in her voice.

"Maybe! But this was probably what we were looking for," Butch said, his voice still filled with disbelief. Buttercup stood up, her eyes still focusing on the spot the camera once was.

"Butch, it was watching us. You know what that means?" Buttercup looked at him.

"No, what?"

"Someone knows we're here."

Butch opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. He breath quickened and he looked around the cave. He stepped up to the wall, feeling the rocks.

"You think there's more?" he asked.

"Probably." Buttercup scanned the area, her eyes narrow and alert. Butch continued feeling the walls, knocking and tapping every now and then. Buttercup turned to him.

"That's probably not a good idea," she warned.

"Why not?" Butch asked, giving her a nasty look, and continuing to knock and tap anyway.

"Years of experience. If there are cameras, there might be—"

Butch pressed into the wall, and the floor began to vibrate. He and Buttercup jumped up, hovering a bit above the ground. She glowered at him, and he chuckled sheepishly.

The entire cave began to shake, dust and other particles both flying _and_ falling into the air around them. There was a sharp metallic noise, and Butch and Buttercup saw the walls eject long, pointy spikes. The walls continued to tremble, creating an ear-splitting thunder the echoed around the area. The spikes slowly grew, coming closer and closer to the duo.

"Any other bright ideas, genius?" Buttercup growled. Butch quickly looked around them, and nodded.

"Yeah. Run."

Butch grabbed Buttercup's arm, and the two blasted through the air, whizzing farther and farther into the cave. The spikes seemed to line the walls endlessly, the spikes growing larger the closer they got. Ahead of them, the two saw two paths, one of the paths lit up with torches. The other path went a little bit, but was visibly caved in.

"Which way?" Butch shouted over the thundering.

"The blocked one!" Buttercup yelled.

"Why? The other one is clear!"

"Exactly!"

Buttercup and Butch zoomed towards the blocked path, both shooting laser eye beams, vaporizing the boulders. The path behind it was clear and lit, just like the other path. Buttercup glanced at Butch and grinned. They zipped past the spikes and entered the passageway.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Bubbles landed softly on the ground, and combed her fingers through the hot, white sand. She sighed happily and rolled on her back, feeling the warmth from the sun. Boomer landed a few feet away.

"I haven't been to the beach for a long time," Bubbles said. Boomer shrugged, and began to walk along the shore, scoping the area. Bubbles sat up and watched him.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. He stopped and stared into the foliage in the island, narrowing his eyes, searching for something.

"Just checking things," he replied. Bubbles turned around, looked at the area that Boomer was. The dense forest beyond the shore looked absolutely beautiful: trees in a vast gradient of green wavered in the gentle wind, with hidden wildlife rustling around unseen, but definitely not unheard.

Boomer stepped over to a large rock, and dropped his bag in the sand.

"We'll make camp here," he said. He took another quick look around. "I'll build a shelter, you go and catch some fish or something."

Bubbles stood up and gave him a funny look.

"I'm a vegetarian," she said. Boomer gave her an annoyed look.

"Fine. Then grab some wood and make a fire," he commanded. He leapt into the air and began picking branches off one of the nearby trees. Bubbles zoomed over and picked up some driftwood. She flew back, dropped the wood, and simply blasted the wood aflame. Boomer floated down, many branches in his arms, and looked at the fire blankly.

"Okay, then, grab fruits or something? I saw some pineapple a few yards in."

"What's it look like?" Bubbles asked.

"A pineapple? Big, spiky, either green or golden—"

"I know what a pineapple looks like," Bubbles sighed. "What does the plant or tree or whatever look like?"

"It's a plant. Long, kinda thin leaves, with pineapples in the center. Can't really miss them," Boomer explained, exasperated, not even looking up at Bubbles. He sat down, pulled some twine out of his bag, and began to tie branches together.

"Well how am I supposed to know?" Bubbles demanded. "How do you know anyway?"

"I just do," he shrugged.

"How much _do_ you know?" Bubbles asked. Boomer exhaled loudly.

"A lot? Maybe?"

"Why are you getting angry with me?" Bubbles asked, a tiny hint bit offended. Boomer frowned and glanced at Bubbles.

"I'm not," he mumbled. He scratched his head, and shook his head. "I don't know, really. I'm just still… uncomfortable or something."

Bubbles smirked, not knowing what to say. She zipped away, avoiding the awkwardness, and after a few minutes, appeared back with an armful of prickly pineapples. She put them down, and sat near Boomer. He glanced at her again.

"That was fast," he commented.

"Well, yeah," Bubbles said with a nod. She scooted closer to Boomer, and Boomer's entire right side suddenly felt warmer. The hairs rose on the back of his neck and, out of reflex, he snapped his face to her. Bubbles gave him a curious look.

"Are you still afraid of me?" Bubbles chuckled.

"Can you blame me?" Boomer replied, sooner than he intended. He blushed, and turned back to his work.

"Can I help?" Bubbles asked. Boomer pushed some branches and the twine to her. Bubbles unrolled a long strand and ripped it off the roll. She looked at Boomer expectantly. Boomer looked at her.

"Yes?"

"What do I do?" Bubbles asked. Boomer pursed his lips, and showed Bubbles how to tie the branches together. Bubbles picked up quickly, and the two began constructing their shelter.

"How did you figure this out?" Bubbles questioned.

"I saw some people do it," Boomer replied. "It's not too hard, as you can see."

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really, I guess," Bubbles sighed. She looked at him, frowning. "You seem so secretive." Boomer stopped, and gazed at her.

"Do I?" he asked, his eyes darting to away, then back again.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Bubbles questioned, a little suspicious.

"No," Boomer answered, though his face flushed a bit. He went back to tying.

"Liar," Bubbles teased. Boomer glared at her.

"I am not," he denied. Bubbles laughed, but didn't reply. After a few minutes, she finally spoke up again.

"You can drive a boat, make a shelter out of leaves and branches, and you know what a pineapple plant looks like. What else do you know?" Bubbles interrogated. Boomer huffed.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I want to know things," Bubbles said. "Why can't I know things about you? Professor said you had a lot of knowledge about nature and stuff, and I mean, _I_ learned my stuff from school. You didn't go to school; you traveled. Did you just pick things up from other people? Trying things? What did you do?"

Boomer stared at her through her entire speech. He licked his lips and looked away.

"Basically, I… watched everything. I'm a really good observer, if I do say so myself. But that's because nobody notices me," he explained.

"Why not?"

Boomer blinked. He suddenly realized that he said too much. He glimpsed at her, noticing that Bubbles totally caught him. She was smiling.

"What are you _not _telling me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he snapped.

"Lies!" Bubbles chirped.

"It's nothing!"

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Fine!" Boomer yelled, causing Bubbles to jump dramatically. He slammed the branches on the ground, stood up, and took a few steps away. Bubbles watched him, completely confused. Boomer turned around and glowered at her.

"You're not – allowed – to laugh," he said, his teeth clenched. Bubbles nodded, unblinkingly. Boomer took a deep breath…

His body trembled, and chestnut brown fur burst through his pores. His hair darkened, and his nose and mouth twisted strangely. A long, large tale burst from the bottom of his shirt, and his body shrank smaller and smaller by the second. Bubbles finally blinked, and before she knew it, the Boomer she saw before was not even remotely the same.

Boomer had transformed into a squirrel.

Bubbles stared at him, the little squirrel with deep blue eyes. He scurried over to her, and Bubbles held out her hand. He leapt onto and Bubbles brought him close to her face. Her eyes were wide.

"You can turn into a squirrel?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," he chattered. Bubbles immediately noticed he wasn't speaking English – it was squirrel.

"You know I can speak squirrel, right?" she asked. Boomer the squirrel tilted his head to the side.

"Can you?" he asked. He leapt off her hand and landed a few feet away. He turned on the spot and Boomer quickly morphed back into his human self. He looked at her, amazed.

"How can you speak squirrel?"

"How can you turn into one?"

The gawked at each other for a moment. Then Bubbles grinned.

"That's, so COOL!" she squealed. Boomer rubbed his neck, uncomfortably.

"You think so?"

"Yes! Is this how you learned things?" Bubbles questioned.

"Well, no one suspects the squirrels," he laughed. Bubbles smiled.

"No they don't, do they?"

Boomer moseyed over and sat next to Bubbles. He grabbed the branches and twine and went back to tying.

"You knew, this might come in handy," Bubbles thought aloud. "You can turn into a squirrel, and only I can understand you."

"You're right," Boomer agreed.

"You think that's why they teamed us up?" Bubbles looked into the ocean thoughtfully. Boomer glanced at the water, too.

"Maybe?"

Bubbles looked at him. Boomer faced her, and they both smiled.

After a few hours, the two managed to tie and weave together a tall shelter, close to the small fire that Bubbles continually had to relight. Boomer dug a hole in the ground and lined it with enormous palm leaves, and tossed the pineapples inside. Soon, the sun began to set, illuminating the water with shades of gold, pink, and dark blue. Bubbles and Boomer settled down, sitting on separate sides of the fire. They watched the horizon, nibbling on chunks of pineapple Boomer cut moments before.

"So when are we exploring the forest?" Bubbles asked, popping a pineapple chunk in her mouth.

"Tomorrow," Boomer replied, biting into a much larger piece.

"Are you going to be in squirrel-form?" Bubbles teased. Boomer chuckled and shook his head.

"Only if it's necessary," he said. He laid back into the sand, taking another bite out of his pineapple. Bubbles lay back, too, turning on her side to face Boomer.

"So we're looking for an animal testing center," she announced. Boomer nodded.

"I know," he said. "But I doubt it will be obvious."

"Probably," Bubbles agreed. "So we'll start looking in the morning?" Boomer finished his pineapple and stretched his arms to cross them behind his head.

"Definitely."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N **

Italian notes:  
Buona notte - good night  
bella ragazza - beautiful girl  
cosa fastidiosa - pain in the ass  
mi dispiace - I'm sorry  
Signorina - miss  
Piacere di conoscerla - Pleased to meet you  
ciao! - good bye

There you go. :)

**Chapter 12**

Brick and Blossom sat in a limo at a stoplight, both in some of the most expensive outfits they have ever worn. Blossom wore a strapless, deep red gown that cut off at her ankles, and golden heels. She had several 10-karat gold bracelets on her wrists, shimmering pearls around her neck, and long, dangly gold earrings. She carried her wrist cuff and many other essentials in a small, velvety purse. Brick wore a dark maroon suit, with a bright red cummerbund and a golden pocket watch, the chain dangling from his breast pocket. Blossom's hair was pulled back tightly in an elegant bun, and Brick's hair was slicked back, a few strands hanging stylishly over his forehead.

Brick glanced at the invitation, the one received several weeks ago.

"9 P.M. at the Drake. Almost there," he said.

"On day 7," Blossom spat.

"Thought you didn't care about that?" Brick asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Aren't I supposed to?" Blossom questioned innocently. Brick rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

Brick and Blossom went shopping several days ago, incognito. Then for the past few days, Brick and Blossom debated on the future events of the party. According to Brick, there was to be some very important people at this party, all working members of the underworld. In fact, the party itself was in honor of Don Guerrelli's son's birthday, so those invited were top-lists members of underground society. Brick was going out of respect, but knew there may be some vital information spread around that may help the team out. Blossom was to be Brick's guest, and as there was very little chance of anyone recognizing her, she didn't need to be in disguise.

Within minutes, a quarter after nine, the two showed up outside the luxurious Drake Hotel. The block was jam-packed with limousines and luxury cars, each slowly ejected some of the well-dressed, high-class, and above all, most criminal citizens of country.

When the limo stopped outside the hotel, Brick slipped something into Blossom's hand.

"Hide this. You might need it."

Blossom felt the cold, heavy object… and jumped.

"A gun!?" she shrieked. Brick gasped and shushed her.

"Shut up, if you know what's best for you," he said. "And you can't reveal your powers, so if you need to protect yourself, that's your best option."

Blossom held the pistol in her hands, fingering its hammer, its barrel, its handle, its trigger. She sighed and slipped it into her purse.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered. Brick stepped out of the vehicle, and held his hand out to Blossom. She took it, and stepped gracefully onto the sidewalk.

"If anyone asks," Brick whispered to her. "Yes, we are involved."

Blossom glared at him, absolutely appalled. He looked at her, frustrated.

"Keeps anyone hitting on you or me," he added. Blossom huffed, and held her face in a very haughty, very angry expression. Brick chuckled.

"You'll fit right in with that look."

Blossom pursed her lips, and Brick led her into the building. After checking in, he proceeded to lead her through lobby, through several well-lit corridors, and into an enormous ballroom, already filled with hundreds of people. Huge, crystal chandeliers hung from the caramel ceiling. The walls were a cream-colored, with ivory curtains lining the windows. The carpet was a rich burgundy, detailed with woven copper diamonds. Tables were decorated with pale white cloths, and people were already settled at them, eating. An 8-piece string orchestra sat in the corner provided soft ambience, almost as strong as the chatter from the party-goers.

"I don't think my blood pressure has ever been higher," Blossom hissed in Brick's ear. He laughed uproariously.

"Lighten up! It's a party, you know."

"Of criminals," she muttered. Brick shot her a dirty look.

"Watch your mouth in this company," he warned.

"Fratellino!" called a voice nearby.

"_Buona notte,_ Agostino!" Brick called, opening his arms. He was embraced by a young, dark-haired man with thick eyebrows. They spoke for a moment, and Agostino turned to Blossom.

"Ah, Fratellino, who is this charming _bella ragazza_?" he said with a grin. His eyes scanned Blossom up and down, making her extremely uncomfortable.

"This is Adelina," Brick said, eyeing Blossom hopefully. "I met her a while back."

"Is she your friend, or…" he waved his hand around in the air. He did not stop staring amorously at Blossom.

"More than that," Brick said with a nod. Blossom forced a smile on her face. Agostino looked at bit disappointed.

"Ah, well, good luck with this, Fratellino. Your last one has been more of a _cosa fastidiosa_ than I could ever imagine," he laughed.

"Last… one?" Blossom questioned, raising her eyebrows at Brick.

"Oh, _mi dispiace_. I will see you soon, Fratellino. _Signorina_, Adelina," Agostino waved and hurried away.

"Last one?" Blossom asked again. Brick smiled sheepishly. Blossom smirked. "You date people?"

"I'm more human than you give me credit for, Blossom," Brick said. His expression suddenly changed and he looked around the room. "I hope she's not here…"

Blossom narrowed her eyes and followed Brick's gaze.

"Who?"

"Shit!" Brick swore.

Just then, Blossom had to hold all her instincts back. Her blood began to boil and her fists clenched on the purse. Across the room, a woman stood near Agostino. She was short, with auburn hair pulled back and curling down to her shoulders. Her dress was dark purple, with ruffles trailing down covering her chest. Silver bangles lined her wrists, and a long necklace with a single ruby hung around her neck. Even from far away, Blossom could see the freckles and the cold-hearted expression on the woman's face. The woman turned and gave the filthiest look on the planet.

"Princess Morbucks…" Blossom's voice trailed. She turned to Brick, her face filled with incredulity. "You dated Princess Morbucks?"

"For a rich girl, she was pretty cheap," Brick said, re-straightening his tie. Princess was strolling towards them, a glass of champagne in her hand. Blossom's heart raced the closer she got, her knuckles growing whiter.

"Agostino just informed me," Princess began to say, her voice singsong, dripping with hatred and mockery. "That Fratellino was here with a new woman." She turned to Blossom, and her eyes narrowed, her face twisting into a menacing grin. "And somehow, he happens to be here with Blossom, the Powerpuff Girl." She spat out the last few words. Blossom shook her head, composing herself. Princess eyed her for a second and turned to Brick.

"Brick, I never thought you would drop so low as to date _her_," she said. "I thought you had better taste than that."

"Excuse me?" Blossom spattered. Princess' lip curled.

"You heard me, Blossom," she said. Brick put a hand on Blossom's arm, holding it tight. Blossom could tell he was trying to hold her in place.

"What are you doing here, Princess?" Brick asked. Princess giggled.

"Oh, Don Guerrelli invited me _personally_. We're very good friends, don't you know? As you can see, dating you had at least some benefits," she replied, taking a sip of champagne. "But _my_ question is why are you here?" She had turned to Blossom.

"She's with me," Brick answered before Blossom could reply. "Now if you don't mind, we're trying to enjoy ourselves." He pulled Blossom away, Blossom and Princess sharing a long, contemptible gaze.

Brick led her to table far away, and they sat down. Blossom targeted Princess with her eyes, and stared daggers.

"What did you see in her?" she asked, her voice sharp and disgusted. Brick inhaled heavily, and ran a hand over his hair.

"She was cute, if you push aside the exterior bitchiness," he replied matter-of-factly. "Not to mention rather athletic in bed—"

"Stop!" Blossom shrieked, her hands shooting up to her ears, her eyes tightening. "I really, really don't want to know about that. Ew, ew, ew!"

"You asked," Brick said with a smile. He looked around the room again. "Now, I need to introduce you to the Don, and we need to start mingling. I'm sure we'll find something out."

Blossom breathed for a few minutes, calming herself down. She managed it, but she couldn't let her guard down completely. She thought it a wise decision. Brick stood up, grabbing Blossom's hand and helping her stand up. She raised an eyebrow at him, surprised by the cordial gesture. He led her to a long table on the far end of the ballroom, where set sat several sophisticated people. An old man with salt-and-pepper hair sat next to a younger man, both bearing a striking resemblance to each other. Brick and Blossom stood before the table and Brick cleared his throat. The men turned and faced them. Blossom's stomach dropped, and she felt more uncomfortable than she had ever felt in her life. She could feel her face flushing nervously.

"Don Guerelli," Brick said graciously to the older man. He looked at the younger one, and gave a short bow. "And Signore Giuseppe. Happy Birthday"

"_Grazie_, Fratellino" Giuseppe said happily. "How are you?"

"Very good, sir," Brick replied, nodding. He gestured to Blossom. "And this is Adelina." Don Guerelli stood up and took Blossom's hand. He kissed it.

"_Piacere di conoscerla,_" Don Guerelli said, his voice rumbling in a deep bass and a thick Italian accent. "Pleasure to meet you." Blossom was speechless.

"_Ciao_?" she squeaked. Brick eyed her. He sat and Guiseppe stood up, repeating the actions of his father. Blossom said, "_Grazie!"_ and smiled anxiously. Don Guerelli looked her, his face welcoming.

"Your friend is afraid?" he asked Brick. Brick laughed.

"Just nervous, I imagine," he said, eyeing Blossom again. She forced a smile on herself, rather flawlessly.

"My apologies, sir," she said. The Don nodded, and grabbed his wineglass.

"Enjoy the celebration, miss," he said, and took a sip. Brick nodded a good-bye, and led Blossom away.

"Wonderful poise, Blossom," he told her flatly.

"I'm sorry!" Blossom hissed. "I wasn't sure how to feel over there. You threw me a curveball, Brick!"

"I told you you'd meet the Don! You should have been more prepared," Brick argued.

"He seemed to be at least understanding," Blossom argued back.

"You got lucky," he said, pursing his lips. They stopped, and he turned to her. "Do you think you can mingle with these people?"

"After some wine, maybe," Blossom said with a shrug. She tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

"Ok, fine," Brick said. He raised his hand, holding like a teacher or lecturer. "You do that, then. Just be careful. Now, try to just talk to people, see what you can find out. Be polite, be civil, do _not_ mention _anything_ about law, do _not _insult anyone, do _not _go near Princess, and use that brain of yours!"

Blossom was momentarily flattered by the brain comment. She quickly shook it off, and asked,

"What about me? What if anyone asks about me?"

"Make it up. Just don't overdo it, or they'll be on to you. The people here are smart, too," he said, pointing to his brain. Blossom chuckled.

"You talk with her hands," she commented. Brick made a funny face.

"What?"

"I think the Italians are rubbing off on you," Blossom left him on that. She strolled away, grabbing a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter.

Despite what Brick said, Blossom had every intention of seeing what Princess was up to. She was convinced that Princess probably had some connection to the situation, and was bound to be of some importance. Blossom weaved through party-goers, searching for the curly-haired enemy. She spotted her in a corner by herself, fixing her appearance in a mirror. Her mouth was moving. Blossom stepped closer, trying to read Princess' lips. Unfortunately, that was something she was never able to do, and she failed miserably. She wandered around a while more, listening in on conversations, desperately avoiding any real contact with anyone. Suddenly, she heard something.

"You should see the amount of money her daddy dear donated," a voice nearby said. Blossom's ears perked up, and she turned around. A group of woman stood drinking win, chatting amongst themselves. Blossom tiptoed near, listening intently.

"She's a snotty little brat," said a woman with wild black hair. "You should hear the way she talks to some people. She's a little brown-noser with the Guerelli, but everyone else? Ha!"

"What does she do? Anything?" asked the first woman, who happened to have stark white hair done up in a beehive.

"I heard," said a younger woman with great big eyes, "that she builds _machines_. No idea what kind, but not cars or anything like that."

"She's a mechanic? Bah!" said the second woman. "Low-class trash."

"Not at all!" the first woman cried. "Her father makes thousands and thousands of dollars. I'm sure she's more than a mechanic. Perhaps she makes weapons?"

"Weapons…" Blossom said to herself, filing it into her memory.

"Doubt it," the third woman said. "What kind of weapons does the family need? What we already have should be suffice."

"Perhaps it's not that at all. _I_ know she's on a mission," the first woman claimed.

"No!" the second and third woman exclaimed. The first woman smiled, clearly delighted with her juicy gossip.

"Yes, my husband mentioned it. He's not too fond of her, but he says she's very, very important."

_Bingo! _Blossom thought. She listened for more, but the women quickly grew tired of the topic and moved on. A waiter passed by Blossom and offered her the only glass of wine left on his tray. She took it, placing her empty glass on the tray. He nodded and ambled away. Blossom drank deeply from her glass, rewarding herself for her newly discovered information. She looked around the room, looking for Brick.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Blossom spun around and faced Princess. Princess was smiling, a glint of contempt on her face. Blossom pursed her lips.

"Actually, I am," she said, taking another sip of wine. She held it up to Princess. "Cheers!"

"It isn't wise to prowl around here, Blossom," she said in a low-voice. "Nosey goody-goods aren't dealt with nicely."

"Is that a threat?" Blossom demanded, an eyebrow rising. She tilted her head back and drained her glass.

"Not really," she replied. "Though I would at least watch what you drank."

Blossom's eyes widened a moment, acidy fear burning down her throat. She breathed, calming herself down.

"You're funny," she said, pointing the glass at Princess.

"Am I?" Princess grinned and walked away. Blossom began to panic. She looked at the glass and dropped it. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ She glanced around, looking for Brick. She spotted him across the room, and dove after him.

Suddenly, with each step, the room began to spin. It started slow, then spun faster and faster. Blossom's eyes began to water, and she felt like she was sinking into a whirlpool. It took every bit of strength to reach Brick, and when she did, she collapsed on his arm. Brick jumped, holding her up with his forearm.

"Wine…" she choked.

"Are you drunk?" he questioned, a smile cracking on his face. Blossom's vision blurred some more.

"No…. poison…"

She sank to the ground, and the last thing she saw was Brick's face twisting into horror.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Buttercup pushed the green button on her wrist cuff. Before anything could show up on the screen, Buttercup shouted,

"Professor! We found something! Spikes! And a camera! And – Agh!"

Buttercup looked away from her wrist. Mojo Jojo's face flickered on the screen, staring up at her unhappily.

"I'm not too pleased to see you either," he said. He looked tired and bored. "What was that again?"

"Where's the Professor?" Buttercup demanded.

"Asleep! We have shifts, you know," Mojo replied. Buttercup snorted, and Butch grabbed her arm. He looked into the screen.

"We were just chased into another cave hall by spikes, hidden in the walls," he said. Mojo looked away, his face showing deep contemplation.

"Interesting…"

"We found a camera, too, but Miss Genius here vaporized it," Butch glared at Buttercup.

"It was watching us!" Buttercup defended herself.

"Genius indeed," Mojo said, a genuine compliment. Buttercup blinked.

"Really?" She and Butch said simultaneously.

"Yes. Destroy anything that may be part of the scheme," Mojo said. "Butch, my boy, never underestimate the mind of a Powerpuff Girl."

Butch eyed Buttercup, who was smiling triumphantly.

"Anyways," Butch continued, dragging out the word. "She also made us go through a blocked passageway. Because, you know, that will totally lead us to the bad guys."

"Yes," Mojo agreed. "Brilliant logic."

Buttercup was filled with accomplishment, her face twisting with glee. Mojo glanced at Buttercup from his screen.

"More logic than I would expect from Buttercup," he added. Buttercup's pride dropped immediately. Butch grinned, holding back laughter.

"Regardless," Mojo continued. "The enemy would want to deter you, and blocking a passageway would do the trick. One should always take the unpaved path. Try to make sure you are on the correct path, though. Search for signs. Either way, good work. I will record the achievement. Keep it up."

The screen blacked out. Despite the insult, Buttercup laughed, ripped her hand away, and pointed at Butch.

"I was right!" she squealed.

"We still don't know that!" Butch said. Buttercup shrugged and strolled to the wall. She held up a single fist and pounded the wall. Rocks rained from the ceiling, and the wall cracked, creating a thunderous roar that trailed down the hall. Suddenly, something small but heavy dropped from the wall. Buttercup and Butch waited for the rocks to stop falling, then strode over to the object. Buttercup chuckled and picked it up. It was another camera.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

Butch took the camera from her and looked at it. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced at it, at Buttercup, and back again. He sighed and with a quick blink, the camera was gone.

"You make me sick," Butch grumbled, then turned on his heel. Buttercup laughed and followed him.

They continued down the path, continuing their journey. After a day or so, Butch's irritation subsided, and the two went back to the usual intolerable silence, or fervent fighting. Buttercup's triumph also subsided, though she was still happy to have made progress in the mission. Butch even had to be thankful that they were getting somewhere. This new motivation kept them going for the next few days.

Before they knew it, it was now the twelfth day. Buttercup thought about it, thinking almost two weeks… it's been almost two weeks… at least we know something, though… Buttercup and Butch were camping out again, eating some canned pasta that tasted terrible, but was tolerable due to the circumstances.

"Do you think it's Him watching us?" Buttercup asked. Butch shrugged, shoving some ravioli in his mouth.

"I have no idea," he replied, food still in his mouth. Buttercup frowned and picked a processed meatball out of her food. She popped it in her mouth. They finished eating, then both of them stood up, stretching and grabbing their bags. Butch lit up another cigarette, passing one to Buttercup, who lit hers up, and the two of them continued down the path. Buttercup finished her cigarette fast, and stomped it out on the wall.

"Can I have another one?" she asked Butch. He chuckled and passed her the pack.

"Just keep it," he said with a shrug. Buttercup smiled, tilting the pack in popping another cigarette in her mouth.

"Thanks," she said, slipping the pack in her bag. She lit it, blowing smoke out of the corner of her mouth. Butch smirked.

"You know," Buttercup said, "You're being awfully nice…" she looked at him thoughtfully. Butch raised an eyebrow.

"You are, too," he shrugged.

"Am I? Still seems kinda weird," Buttercup leaned up against the wall. Butch stopped and looked at her.

"Yeah, I guess so. Probably weirder for me than you," he said. Buttercup eyed him, sucking on the cigarette.

"Why?"

"Because you're Buttercup," he said simply. "You're not nice."

"Oh, please," Buttercup laughed. "I can't be nice to my enemies."

"Or anyone who falls in love with you."

Buttercup froze. Butch gave her a knowingly look and continued walking. Buttercup blinked a few times, trying to figure out what he meant… then she got it. A dark feeling suddenly overcame her, and she felt sick. She knew precisely what he meant: many years ago, stupid Cupid accidentally shot Butch and he ended up falling madly in love with none other than Buttercup. There was no other way to break the infatuation but to break poor Butch's heart. Buttercup remembered the feelings: the original triumph over breaking it, then the overwhelming feeling of guilt afterwards. That same feeling, only shockingly worse, spread through Buttercup's body. To her surprise, she felt hot tears welling into her eyes. She blinked them away and slammed the cigarette on the ground.

"Hey!" she shouted. Butch was several yards ahead. He turned around. Buttercup zoomed over to him, landing in front of him. She shoved him hard.

"What the hell?" she asked. Butch frowned.

"What?" he questioned. Buttercup shoved him again.

"Don't bring up old shit, asshole!" Buttercup cried. "How dare you? You know I had to do that, and I know it wasn't right, and I apologized, you fucking bastard!"

Buttercup pushed him away and stomped off. Butch stared after her, and thought for a second that he saw a tear fall from Buttercup's eye. He clenched his jaw, and stared after her. He jammed his hands in his pockets and sauntered after her.

"Buttercup, come back here!" he called. She stopped. Butch smirked to himself and jogged towards her.

"Look, I'm—"

"Shh!" Buttercup held a finger up. Butch looked at her, confused.

"What is it?"

"Shut up!" Buttercup was listening to something. Butch listened hard, and immediately picked up on it. There was a soft, echoing voice ahead that seemed to be… singing? Buttercup looked at Butch, intrigued. She took a step in mid-air and hovered forward. Butch followed her, and the two floated forward. They reached something like a corner, and the two slowly peaked around the corner. They looked into a large room, dimly lit with blue flaming torches. There was a person, humming to herself and extracting a small device from the wall.

Buttercup gasped.

It was Sedusa. Sedusa was dressed in her old outfit, the sexy red leotard, the red stiletto boots, and the black fishnets. Her hair waved about like snakes, and she tossed the camera into a sack nearby.

"Holy shit!" Butch said to himself. Buttercup glanced at him, giving him a dirty look.

"What is she doing here?" she asked. They watched her a little while. Her humming grew louder, reverberating around the cavern walls. Buttercup balled a hand into a fist and smiled to herself.

"Let's get her," she said excitedly. Butch grabbed Buttercup's arm.

"No. I'll do it."

"What?" Buttercup hissed. "Nuh uh. No way."

"No, let me talk to her," he said. He had a funny look on his face. Buttercup pursed her lips.

"Oh, 'cause she'll just be so happy to see you and she'll welcome you with open arms," Buttercup's voice dripped with sarcasm. Butch smiled to himself.

"She just might."

Butch leapt forward and into the room. Buttercup tried to grab him, but missed, and instead hid behind the corner. Butch stepped on the ground and Sedusa turned her head sharply.

"Butch!" she cried. Butch stood before her, smiling. Sedusa looked him up and down, shocked.

"How did you… What are you…"

"Just visiting," Butch said. "Can't just, you know, visit an old friend?"

Buttercup smacked her face with her palm. She exhaled heavily, and continued to watch.

"Wow, after all these years," Sedusa said, smiling. She stepped toward him, her hips swishing side to side. She looked him up and down and grinned.

"My have you grown," she said playfully. Butch grinned.

"You better believe it."

"How is my dear boy? What has he been up to?" Sedusa stepped dangerously close to Butch. Buttercup raised her eyebrows. She noticed Butch starting to tremble, and Buttercup's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, nothing t-t-too much, really. You?" his voice shook. Buttercup's lip curled angrily, and her fingers broke into the cave wall. She didn't even notice, not taking her eyes off the others.

"Same old, same old, you know?" Sedusa lifted a hand close to Butch's face. She caressed him, and her body glittered strangely. Buttercup blinked, wondering if she imagined it.

"Yeah, yeah, I do…" Butch's breathing was unsteady. Sedusa giggled.

"Now what are you doing here again?" she asked.

"V-v-visiting, just as I said," Butch replied. Sedusa began to laugh, slowly slipping into a cackle.

"You're lying," she said in a singsong voice. Butch shook his head quickly.

"W-why would I lie to you?" he asked. Sedusa lifted her hands and slid them up Butch's chest. He trembled violently. Sedusa's body sparkled again. Buttercup's face was twisted with disgust, but the sparkling interested her.

"Why? Because, sweetie..." she moved her face closer to him. "You're… a… traitor!"

With the last word she pushed through him, her body disappearing into tiny little pixels. Butch fell to the ground, knocking his head into the ground. Buttercup zipped over to him, looking around the tunnel. Butch sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"What… the fuck?"

"She wasn't really," Buttercup spat. She looked at him. She kicked him in the arm and he collapsed back to the ground, banging his head again.

"And you're fucking ridiculous. What was that? You were trembling! It was absolutely outrageous!" Buttercup stepped away and folded her arms on her chest. Butch groaned and stood up. He looked at the spot that Sedusa was only moments before.

"That was weird," he mumbled.

"Hell yeah! What's your problem?" she demanded. Butch rubbed his eyes and looked away from her.

"Well, uh… she's an ex…"

"What?!" Buttercup's eyes were wide, and her face looked so animalistic, a little tingling of fear tickled at Butch's neck.

"Come on, she's… she's fucking hot," Butch nodded at her.

"You're disgusting!" Buttercup snarled.

"Jealous?"

Buttercup stopped. She and Butch looked around, neither of them having said anything. An evil giggle sounded through the air, rumbling around the room.

"You stupid fools. You think you're so clever… You think you'll get through this –

Alive? You're pathetic. You'll NEVER win."

The voice cackled, sending chills up both Butch and Buttercup's spines. The voice died away after what seemed like hours. Buttercup looked at Butch, worried.

"This is getting serious," she said. Butch licked his lips.

"It was serious to begin with," he said. They stood quietly for a moment. Eventually, Buttercup turned around and knelt down by the sack. Butch frowned.

"More cameras?" he asked. Buttercup lifted one up of the objects inside.

"Yeah, a whole bag of them," she said with a nod. She immediately destroyed the sack. She stood up and looked at Butch.

"We need to find her. Maybe she's here," she thought aloud. Then Buttercup turned and punched Butch hard on the arm.

"Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"

"If I see you fall to pieces like that again, I'll kill you."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Bubbles and Boomer started their exploration of the island, exploring every square inch of sand, every leaf on each tree, and every worm and bug hidden under every rock. They dragged the shelter around easily, setting it up at every new camping site. Unfortunately, the deeper they trekked into the island, the thicker the undergrowth became, and they were forced to abandon their shelter after several days.

It was the eighth day, according to Boomer, and they were in deep, jungle wilderness. They hadn't found any signs of life besides birds and beached fish and the occasional rodent. The light was very dim, and the dense, humid air weighed on the team's bodies, sucking the sweat off their skin.

Boomer stopped, and leaned against a wet, vine-ridden tree.

"It's so hot," he huffed, flicking his damp hair back. Bubbles stopped and knelt to the ground, fanning herself.

"I can barely breathe," she commented. They rested for a moment.

"Are we going to find anything?" Boomer asked with a frown. He pulled out a water bottle from his bag and took the cap off. He drained the last few drops, and sighed.

"I'm out of water, too. We'll need to find a water source somewhere."

"We'll find one soon," Bubbles assured. "Let's just keep going."

She stood up, and the two fought their way further into the island. The humidity grew thicker and thicker, and before they knew it, Bubbles and Boomer were growing light-headed from the lack of oxygen. Bubbles' legs faltered, and she tripped. Boomer grabbed her arm, catching her mid-fall.

"Thanks," she exhaled. Boomer shook his head and led her into the air. The two zoomed through the canopy of trees and reached the top, sucking in the fresh, cool air.

"Maybe we should hang out up here awhile," Boomer said breathlessly. He hovered on the uppermost branches of a palm tree, gulping in the air. Bubbles rubbed her eyes sleepily and stared curiously into the forest below. Suddenly, she pointed.

"Hey, um, what's that?"

Boomer reluctantly floated up to her, and drowsily looked in the direction she was pointing.

"What?"

"There's a gap," Bubbles said. Boomer stared forward, and the two drifted closer to it. Sure enough, there was a gap amongst the trees. Bubbles looked at Boomer, excitement beginning to grow on her face. She smiled, and started flying faster. Boomer, following along, zipped with her over to the clearing and dove in. Below they saw a sparkling of color and the same thought jumped into their brain: water. They sped up and reached the ground below…

They gasped.

It was large pond, but not just. It was murky and oily, and filled with waste. Several barrels of waste lined the edge, still dripping chemical waste. Nuts and bolts and other pieces of metal littered the shoreline. Plastic floated on the surface of the water, along with almost skinless dead fish.

Bubbles whimpered, a sense of sadness and injustice bubbling through her veins. Nearby, a turtle with a discolored, uneven shell gradually made its way to the water. Bubbles whimpered again and rushed over to it. She picked him up.

"No little guy. This is no place for you," she looked over to Boomer, who was rubbing his neck, staring at the water with disgust.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Boomer said with a shrug. He knelt over the water and picked out a hunk of metal. He examined it. "But obviously someone's been using this pond as a trash dump."

"Who?" Bubbles demanded. She wiggled her finger at the turtle. Boomer examined the metal some more, then his eyes flickered with recognition.

"Morbucks Machines…"

Bubbles stared at him.

"Morbucks?"

"Sound familiar?" Boomer asked, looking at Bubbles knowingly. She frowned, narrowing her eyes.

"Princess."

"Exactly," Boomer tossed the metal back into the water and stood up. "You think she's here?"

"I don't know," Bubbles replied. She put the turtle several feet away from the water. She grabbed a handful of leaves from above and placed it in front of the turtle, which eagerly began nibbling away.

"We have to do something," she said. Boomer nodded.

"Alright. Let's continue then," he said. He started walking back into the forest. Bubbles snorted.

"That's not what I had in mind," she said. Boomer looked at her. Bubbles glanced at the pond and smiled. Her eyes were pleading. Boomer stared at her blankly, having no idea what was on her mind.

"What?

Bubbles rolled her eyes, and then looked exasperatedly at the pond. She looked back at Boomer and nodded her head. Boomer blinked, and understood.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Nice thought, but we don't have time."

"Come on! What about the turtle?" she plead, pointing to the turtle. He was still chomping at the leaves. "He has no place to go."

"Then grab him, and we'll drop him back off in the ocean. But we're not cleaning the pond," Boomer looked at her sternly. Bubbles narrowed her eyes and stomped a foot.

"I'm not leaving this place until it's sparkling blue."

Boomer's jaw jut out, and he glared at her.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Then I'm leaving without you. You can be a yuppie environmentalist by yourself," he stated and turned away. Bubbles glowered at him.

"Don't call me that!" she shrieked. Boomer glanced behind him.

"You're being ridiculous," he said simply. Bubbles stomped over to him. She grabbed his shirt and looked fiercely into his eyes.

"I'm going to clean up this pond now and you're going to help me or else!" she held a fist up to his face. Boomer eyed her fist nervously. He smiled sheepishly.

"Uh… okay."

Bubbles smiled triumphantly and skipped away from him. He exhaled loudly, and followed her.

For the next day, the two worked tirelessly to clean the water. They dug a very deep hole a short distance away, and buried the toxic metals. Boomer used a clever weave of twine to sift through the water and take out smaller pieces of metal. Bubbles, exhausting all of her powers, managed to drain the pond and refill it with freshly boiled sea water. Amazingly, it took them only a couple days. By the third day, the two were making final touches on the rejuvenated pond. Bubbles grabbed the turtle from before, which she had diligently cared for over the past few days. She placed him on the edge of the lake.

"There you go, little guy," she said sweetly. The turtle slowly dipped his head into the water and up again. With a few timid steps, he slipped deep into the water and out of sight. Bubbles stood up and looked over at Boomer. He was lying on the ground, his arms covering his face. Bubbles went over and sat a few feet away.

"Thanks," she said softly. Boomer exhaled.

"Yeah, it was nice, I guess." He sat up and stretched his arms out. "Took us long enough."

"Do you want to just take the rest of the day off?" Bubbles suggested, leaning back on her hands.

"Uh, yeah," Boomer replied enthusiastically. He grabbed his bag and pulled out two large pieces of something. "Before anything, tell me: does this look familiar to you?"

Bubbles scooted closer and grabbed the pieces. She gazed curiously at the two pieces. One piece resembled a tall pie tin covered with fabric, and the other was a long piece of wood with metal strips. Bubbles rearranged the pieces in front of her and her heart skipped a beat.

"A banjo!" she squealed. Boomer nodded.

"That's what I thought."

"Why didn't you show me this until now?" Bubbles asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I only noticed it earlier, and I didn't want to bring it up until we were done. But who do we know that has a banjo?" he looked at her. Bubbles eyed him curiously.

"Fuzzy Lumpkins?" she answered.

"That's all I could think of, too," Boomer agreed. Bubbles stared at the pieces.

"You think Fuzzy is involved?" she asked incredulously. She stifled a laugh. "Come on, it's Fuzzy! He can't do anything, really. And he definitely wouldn't be caught dead without Joe." She sat back and laughed to herself. Boomer frowned.

"Well, clearly, he doesn't have Joe." Boomer flipped over the banjo's body piece, revealing a tarnished nameplate: "Joe." Bubbles gasped.

"That can't be right!" she exclaimed.

"It looks like it," Boomer said regrettably. He grabbed the pieces and slipped them back in his bag. Bubbles pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Maybe he's not involved exactly," she said. "Maybe he was captured?"

"I don't know," Boomer said shaking his head. "It's still Fuzzy. I don't expect much of him either, but you can't doubt anyone right now."

Bubbles sank to the ground. She grabbed her bag, placed it under her head, and rolled over to face Boomer.

"So Morbucks machinery and Fuzzy's banjo… how does that fit together?"

Boomer lay back down on his side, facing Bubbles.

"I don't know," he responded. "We'll have to search more I guess."

They laid there quietly for a while. It grew darker, and Boomer soon drifted off to sleep, soft snores emitting from his mouth. Bubbles was lying away looking into the forest. The trees waved gently in the light wind, as birds occasionally flew in and out of the leaves. Bubbles watched a bright blue and gold macaw soar through the canopy above. Several tiny little todies fluttered around the shrubbery nearby. Bubbles sighed and closed her eyes contently, listening to the soft tropical music around her. She opened her eyes—

She stopped breathing. She saw a small blinking red light, way up in the foliage above. Bubbles leapt up, not taking her eyes off the light. She silently stepped into the air and floated up to the tree. She hovered closer and closer, her breathing short and quiet.

"Hello…" she whispered.

SCREEECH!

Bubbles covered her head with her arms at the last second as a creature lunged at her face, its claws sinking into her arm. Bubbles screamed and rocketed back. Boomer below jumped awake and leapt into the air.

"WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?"

Boomer inhaled sharply as he saw Bubbles desperately try to shake off a small furry animal clinging to her forearm. It screeched and screeched and tore its tiny little claws into her skin. Boomer shot after them and knocked the little creature off her. It fell to the ground and landed right in the pond with a loud thwoomp!

Bubbles cradled her arm, and she and Boomer carefully lowered to the surface of the water. Boomer bravely reached in and pulled out a furry little being.

It was little monkey; marmoset, Boomer classified in his head. He carried the monkey onto the shore and dropped it. It lay there unconsciously, a little machine attached to its head. The machine rapidly blinked its tiny little red light, then stopped. Bubbles and Boomer landed next to the monkey and stared at it.

"Is it… is it dead?"

Boomer nudged it – it didn't move. Bubbles' hand shot to her mouth as she blinked back some tears.

"No…"

"This thing just tried to attack you!" Boomer exclaimed. "You feel bad?"

"Yeah, well, I probably scared it!" Bubbles cried. Boomer looked at her arm.

"Yeah – enough to have it rip your arm to pieces."

Bubbles frowned and poked at the monkey with her uninjured arm. Boomer grabbed the monkey, holding it easily in his hand. With one swift movement, he ripped the machine off its head. Bubbles sniffled. Boomer gave her a dirty look and examined the tiny machine.

"There it is – Morbucks Machinery."

"What does it do?" Bubbles asked. Boomer shrugged.

"No idea. Camera? Mind control? I don't know…" Boomer poked at a little prong on the machine. It was moist with blood. He looked at the monkey's head and noticed a tiny hole. "Whatever it was, it was connected to the monkey's brain."

A tear fell from Bubbles' eye. She wiped it away quickly and shuddered.

"It's awful…"

Boomer looked at her. He eyed her up and down, noticing the pain and sorrow on Bubbles' face. He frowned. He put the device in his pocket and put the monkey on the ground. He dug a small hole and placed the monkey gently inside. He covered it with dirt, and grabbed a nearby stone, placing it over the grave. Bubbles watched him, touched. Boomer stood up and looked at Bubbles. He smiled kindly. He looked at Bubbles scratched and bleeding arm.

"Come on, let's take care of those cuts."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Back at the hideout, Blossom's blank face was lit by the dim lamplight, as she lay almost comatose in the bed. Her face was stuck in anguish, her skin pale as the gray bed sheets. She twitched, and inhaled sharply, breathing in the rank, mothball odor of the room. She twitched again, and her eyes shot open. She sprung forward, holding her chest as she coughed violently. She gulped a few times, her throat dry and tight.

"Water…"

Blossom quickly glanced around the room, and found a half-empty glass of water on the side table. She dove for it and slammed it down, water trickling off her chin. She dropped the empty glass next to her on the bed, and gasped for air. She blinked her eyes several times, loosening the crust and gunk, and looked around the room. She spotted Brick asleep on the couch, a line of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. Blossom grimaced, snatched the glass again, and pitched it to the wall. Brick awoke with a start, snoring loudly and leaping up from the couch.

"What—what's going on?" he stammered sleepily. He looked at Blossom and smacked his lips. He smirked. "You're finally awake."

"Yeah, what _is_ going on?" Blossom asked, her voice hoarse.

"You were poisoned," Brick answered, yawning and stretching his arms.

"How… how long was I out?" Blossom asked. She glanced at the window, which showed the dark, moonlight alleyway outside.

"Uh…" Brick scratched his head, thinking. "Three days?"

"Three days!" Blossom wheezed. She scrambled off the bed, tripping over her party dress that she just realized she was still wearing. She stumbled across the room and grabbed her bag from the table. She stumbled back to the bed and collapsed onto it. She rubbed her head; she was still drowsy from the poison. She began sifting through her bag, looking for her journal. She looked back at Brick.

"How do you know it's been three days?"

Brick shrugged his shoulders. He smoothed a wrinkle in his black shirt, and Blossom silently noted that he was back in uniform. Brick turned his head sleepily to the window.

"Well, um, this is like third time it's been night since the party, I'm guessing it's been about three days."

"That doesn't make sense," Blossom said, shaking her head. She pulled out her journal and flipped through the pages, stopping at the last entry. Brick rubbed his eyes and finally looked at Blossom.

"Well, a lot of stuff happened," he said. "The party definitely got more exciting when you passed out. Giuseppe and the Don weren't very happy, but not at you or anything. I had to drag you out of there before anything else could happen, and I had to explain things to some people. I brought you here ASAP and tossed you on the bed and called Mojo. He told me to check your pulse and your breathing and stuff, and you've actually been okay. He thinks it was cyanide poisoning, according to your symptoms, and the Professor immediately went to work trying to figure out if you were immune to it or something. If you're feeling okay, you'll probably be okay."

"Interesting," Blossom said. She rubbed her throat and swallowed several times, hoping to moisten her throat. She stepped out of bed and hovered in the air. She floated to the sink by the window and filled up a clean glass from the counter. She drank deeply from the cup, and refilled it again.

"Anything else?" she demanded, her voice a little stronger. Brick looked away a moment to think, then nodded and looked back at her.

"Princess is definitely in on something," he replied. Blossom's mind opened like the Red Sea, her memory suddenly fresh and vivid.

"Yes! She is!" she cried, her voice cracking painfully. She gulped down her water. "She's building weapons or something. I overheard some woman talking."

"Is that all? Brick asked, eyeing her. He chuckled. "I definitely got more than that."

"What did you get, then?"

"Apparently, Princess is working with Tomas and Frederick on some top secret mission. Obviously, it's not too top secret, though, because Tomas asked if I would help," Brick looked straight ahead, trying to recite everything from memory. "Princess is working on some weapons for the family, and also wants to sell them all over the world. She's already sent prototypes all over the place, and offers are pouring in. She's exchanging her machines for recognition and a position in the family. She wants to be level with the Don, from the looks of it."

"What kind of weapons? And who are Tomas and Frederick?" Blossom asked eagerly.

"They're some high-up friends of mine – advisors, actually. But that they didn't tell me – the weapons part, at least. All I know is that Princess has something else in mind, too, but she only told the Don. He likes the idea, and they're going to do it, and when all the kinks of the plan work out, they're going to tell all the soldiers."

"Soldiers?"

"Eh, anyone in the family who fights, basically."

Blossom quickly dated the next page in her journal. _Day 10? Really?_ She frowned, thinking about the time she wasted asleep, but shook away her thoughts and jotted down some notes. She recorded everything Brick told her, and everything she could squeeze from her memory of the party.

"Anything else I should know?"

"Yeah, actually," Brick reached in his pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. He tossed it to Blossom, who opened it, flattening the crinkles. She blinked a few times, making sure she understood what she was reading: an immense list of numbers, endlessly trailing down the page.

"What's this?" Blossom questioned, not lifting her gaze off the paper.

"Found it taped to our window the morning after the party," Brick said. Blossom tore away from the note.

"Someone knows we're here!" she screeched. Brick rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah. Tomas -- He's the one that got us the place here, so I'm guessing it's something from him. That thing doesn't look all that special, though," he gestured towards the note still in Blossom's hands.

"How is it not!" Blossom exclaimed, turning the sheet over and back again. "It's a code or something, obviously. Did you not even bother to try and solve it?"

"No, I figured you'd want to do it," Brick replied, casting his eyes to the ceiling.

"Oh, so you don't have to do anything? You wanna make me do everything?" Blossom glared at him, annoyed by the blatant example of pure chauvinism… or at least what she thought was one. Brick turned his gaze to her and narrowed his eyes.

"No, because I knew you'd be able to do it," he said quietly. Blossom's eyebrows flickered. Was this a compliment? Blossom glimpsed at him, and immediately felt a small pang of guilt. There was no way she would show it, though.

"Well, thanks I guess," she hissed. "But we should probably work on this then."

"Yeah," Brick crossed his arms defensively. " Maybe you should."

Blossom rubbed her throat again, her fingers rolling across the pearl necklace still hanging from her throat. She looked down at herself. She started sifting through her bag again, making sure her uniforms and various accessories were still in there. She closed the bag and hoisted it over her shoulder. She hopped off the bed and handed the note back to Brick.

"Okay, well, first I'm going to shower and change out of this, then we're going to try and figure out what precisely this note is."

Brick agreed and shoved the note back in his pocket. Blossom headed to the bathroom. She stepped into it and dropped her bag on the floor. She glanced at herself in the mirror, sneering at her disheveled hair and smeared make-up. She looked down at the sink and reached for her hairbrush. Near the brush were many little bottles, all brand new. She grabbed one and examined it: Amyl Nitrate, commonly used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning. Blossom smirked and grabbed another bottle: Sodium Thiosulfate, another antidote for cyanide poisoning. Blossom put the bottles down and looked back in the mirror. She ran her fingers across her face, pulling down an eyelid to check her eyes. She looked okay. She scratched her arm, and felt a small, plastic bandage. She pressed it and she winced, shocked by a mild pain. She lifted the bandage and found a tiny red injection site. Blossom bit her lip and glanced outside the bathroom. Brick was lying on the couch again, staring at the ceiling. Blossom sighed and stepped back into the room. She called him.

"Um, Brick?"

Brick grunted and turned to her, his expression apathetic.

"Thank you for, um, taking care of me. I appreciate it."

Blossom swallowed her pride, her throat stinging spitefully. Brick smirked, his eyes narrowing to tiny slits.

"Yeah." It was all he could spit out. Blossom smiled weakly, taking it as a good sign. She headed back in the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

For the next several days, Brick and Blossom worked tirelessly at trying to figure out the note. They agreed that it _was_ a code, but they just couldn't figure out anything else. Blossom tried many cryptology methods she remembered from books, but none prevailed. Brick tried a few methods himself, but didn't succeed anymore than Blossom. They created several of their own keys, and they still had no luck. In her journal, Blossom recorded every idea, every method, and every experiment, and reread them before she slept every night. She hoped her own thoughts would help her somehow, if not just keep her on track.

Soon, it was day seventeen, and the warm sun outside blazed on the little table. Blossom pulled back her long mane of hair, tightening her infamous red ribbon. She and Brick sat, poured over dozens of sheets of paper and Blossom's journal. Brick stared out the window in thought, nibbling on his thumbnail.

Blossom sighed.

"This is ridiculous!" she yelled, her voice now much more improved from before. "We don't have one clue to help up figure this out, not one! It's just a big block of numbers. What do we know?"

Brick groaned and stared up at the ceiling.

"Princess is making weapons, and there's a plan in the family. We don't really know anything else. Nothing. "

"Nothing?" Blossom repeated. "Is there like, a secret code amongst the mafia? You really don't have any more information?"

"Please don't call it the mafia," Brick scolded.

"Family, whatever," Blossom spat.

"No, there isn't," Brick said, shaking his head. "Even if there was, I'm sure Princess would know about it."

"Well, then, what are we supposed to go off of? Our brilliant minds?" Blossom slammed her pen on the table, and it bounced off the side. She crossed her arms and stared furiously at the note.

"Maybe we should just ask for help?" Brick offered, lifting up his wrist. Blossom shrugged, and didn't reply. Brick flipped open his wrist cuff and pressed the call button.

"Hello?" he called. He waited a few seconds for a reply – nothing. He pressed the button again.

"Mojo? Utonium?"

Still no answer. Blossom looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Brick tapped the button again and again.

"I don't know. They're not answering."

Blossom flipped open her own wrist cuff and pressed the call button. It blinked, but nothing else happened.

"Professor?" she said loudly into the cuff.

No reply.

"What's going on?" she asked Brick. He slammed the lid shut.

"I have no idea—"

"_AGHHH_!"

Blossom and Brick jolted in their seats, the loud scream screeching from Blossom's arm. The voice echoed from the radio, high-pitched and full of static. Brick and Blossom glanced at each, recognizing the voice: Mojo Jojo. Blossom held her wrist out as far as possible, turning her head away and closing one ear, hoping to deafen the painful screams of the monkey on the other line. Brick covered his ears, leaving only a tiny bit of room to listen.

"No, no, no, I will not listen. I will not listen to this! AGHHH…"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"You _fucked_ Sedusa?!"

Buttercup stared at Butch incredulously. Butch jabbed out a cigarette on the wall, his eyes big and dangerous and staring right at Buttercup. It was almost a week after their little rendezvous with the hologram Sedusa, and after a short conversation only moments ago, they somehow came upon to the topic of Butch's sex life.

"It was _once,_ okay?" Butch reminded her. "Now you can drop it."

"But, oh my God, how old is she? Like, fifty?" Buttercup leaned against the cave wall, and crossed her arms across her chest. The blue flames illuminated her disgusted face.

"She was not fifty, it was only a few years ago anyway," Butch said, annoyed, and feeling like he said this for the millionth time.

"Oh, sorry, she was, what, forty-seven, then? Because that's _so_ much better!" Buttercup made a noise, and flicked her hair away. The cave seemed to be getting hotter, more humid, and Buttercup's hair stuck to her face.

"Why do you care?" Butch asked, almost pleading.

"Because it's just absolutely gross," Buttercup snapped, her repulsion spitting into the air.

"Oh, not jealous or anything, right?" Butch questioned, a little playful. Buttercup made a face, and then added,

"She's a skanky whore, too."

"Oh, coming from the notorious gangbanging bitch, eh?" Butch eyed Buttercup, a small, vicious smile growing on his face. He had been trying for days now to find a tick that would make Buttercup stop pestering him. This seemed to work -- Buttercup's eyes widened, more curious than anything.

"Gangbanging bitch?" she spat. She enunciated every syllable of the sentence. Butch's smile grew into a snarky smirk, and his eyes glittered maliciously.

"You heard me. Come on, we're from Townsville; things get around fast, don't you think?"

Buttercup stared at him, unsure of how to react. Butch chuckled.

"Really? You don't know what I'm talking about? And Ace talks so kindly of you and your kinky past…"

Buttercup's eye twitched, and she raised an eyebrow, and asked slowly,

"Ace? You talk to Ace of the Gangreen Gang?"

"Oh, do I," Butch laughed. "I've heard all about your gangbang with the Gangreen Gang."

Buttercup's mouth fell, and her face turned bright red, visible even in the blue light.

"I never did that!" she cried, her voice tight and constricted.

"Never? Ace seemed so honest, too…"

Buttercup groaned and slammed her elbow into the wall, rocks crumbling behind her. She pointed at Butch, her wrist shaking.

"I never did that shit, no matter what the asshole said!"

Butch smiled and shrugged, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh, but it was such a juicy rumor," Butch moaned.

"And it was just that – a rumor," Buttercup hissed. "You have no idea how long it took to beat that rumor out of my life."

Buttercup's body trembled violently. She thought about the nasty rumor, which was spread late her senior year of high school. Ace, who she did have something of a relationship with, happened to tell the rumor to several impressionable classmates, and word spread faster than an avalanche. For whatever reason, people fell for it, and Buttercup was submitted to almost a month of cruel insults and mockery. She had to do some hardcore damage control, mostly by beating the living crap out of the Gangreen Gang and a few annoying classmates who refused to let the rumor die. The rumor died eventually, along with a little bit of Buttercup's dignity and one popular girl's reputation.

She shouldn't have been too surprised that Butch knew about it. She was a little bit surprised that he brought it up though.

Butch blew some air out of his mouth and looked at Buttercup.

"So did you have a thing with Ace?" he asked suddenly. Buttercup's upper lip rose.

"Why do you care?" she asked, her head tilting slightly.

"Because it's so _gross_," Butch said, saying the last word exactly how Buttercup said it earlier. Buttercup simply snorted. Butch rolled his eyes and added, "Because I want to know."

Buttercup moved her bangs out of her eyes and gave him a sly smile. She turned her back to him.

"Maybe…"

Butch's eyebrows flickered, and he watched her as she began to walk away. Her hips swished a bit, Butch wondering if it was intentional or not. Was she… flirting? His eyes traveled down her back, past her tank top, her belt, and… he blinked away and looked up.

"Yes or no?" Butch asked, a little stronger. Buttercup looked back and smirked.

"Oh, you're not _jealous_, right?

Butch's lip curled… and he grinned.

"Touché."

Buttercup stopped mid-step, and she turned back. She smiled and narrowed her eyes, not sure how to feel about that statement. Butch raised his eyebrows again and stepped towards her, his eyes locking onto Buttercup's. He came closer and closer, and walked right past her. Buttercup's insides fluttered strangely for a nanosecond, and she turned around to face him. He was walking backwards, a small smile on his face. Buttercup licked her lips…

They both stopped, a peculiar feeling vibrating on their wrists. Butch and Buttercup blinked away the moment, and grabbed their respective wrist cuffs. They flipped them open—

"_AGHHH_!"

Buttercup twisted her neck, holding her arm out and covered her closest ear with the other. Butch gritted his teeth, glaring at the cuff.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

"No, no, no, I will not listen. I will not listen to this! AGHHH…"

Buttercup looked up at Butch. She frowned.

"Mojo?"

. . .

Bubbles' arm was bound tightly by some medical tape. It didn't hurt much, but it got in the way a lot, getting caught on small branches and collecting tiny bugs. In the meantime, Boomer checked the little machine in his pocket every hour he was awake, hoping to figure out what it was. Over a week after the monkey attack, and several gruelingly uneventful days, Boomer and Bubbles were relaxing in the sky above the canopy trees, soaking in the dry warmth of the sun. Boomer was again picking at the little device, as Bubbles chewed on some fruit.

"I just don't know what this thing is," Boomer commented, shoving the device back in his pocket. "It just defies anything I've ever seen. And it's some high-quality technology, but I've never seen it before."

"What have you seen before?" Bubbles asked, curious.

"Eh – mostly stuff Mojo built. And he's come up with some weird stuff, but this? Even this is weirder," Boomer looked away thoughtfully.

"I'm so bored," Bubbles sighed, hoping Boomer didn't mind that she changed the subject. Boomer laughed.

"Because this is a time to be bored," he joked.

"I know, I know… But we haven't found anything since that monkey," Bubbles unconsciously rubbed her wounded arm. "You'd think with some really good clues, we'd be onto something."

"Maybe," Boomer said with a shrug.

They hovered in the air quietly, Bubbles staring at the sea far away. Boomer looked at her, tilting his head. He thought about the mission for a moment… he agreed that he was, well, bored, too. Maybe "bored" wasn't the right word, though. He felt much more anxious than that, considering how many days till he may lose his powers… or his life._ What was it?_ He thought. _13 days away_? It seemed like they wasted so much time doing nothing. Finding the banjo pieces was something, and the _monkey_ was something, but that's it? Out of the whole seventeen days they've been on the mission, they had two single clues? It just didn't seem like much, and his life – Bubbles life, and his brothers', and her sisters' – so many lives were on the line. Or perhaps it was just their powers… either way, it wasn't good, and they seemed to have hit a standstill.

"I want to talk to my sisters."

Bubbles glanced at Boomer and looked down, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them close to her. She looked sad, almost on the verge of tears. But thankfully, she didn't cry, but just looked helpless and lost. Boomer sympathized greatly with her, but had no idea how to express it.

Bubbles snuck a glance at Boomer again, and looked back at her knees. Boomer's face was full of uncertainty, but she could sense some feeling trying to break through the expression. Bubbles smiled to herself, grateful for his compassionate attempt. She had to admit that she liked him more and more every day, feeling the bond between them grow closer. He was so awkward and timid – it was cute! But she hoped the feelings wouldn't go any further, considering the circumstances...

"I want to talk to my brothers myself," Boomer said, trying to say something back to her. Bubbles shrugged.

"I don't think we can communicate with them ourselves, can we?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure," Boomer replied, pursing his lips and examining his wrist cuff. "I don't think so, though."

"Shame…" Bubbles tapped at her own wrist cuff. She opened it and stared into the blank screen. She pressed the call button.

"Hello? Blossom? Buttercup?" she called. There was no reply, but she felt it was at least worth the try. She closed the lid and wrapped her arms back around her legs.

Boomer pressed his wrist cuff hopefully, blowing into the little microphone hole, and tapping at the screen. He searched through the buttons and the little screens, poking at little icons on the touch screen. He couldn't find any way at all to communicate to their siblings. _If only I had the tools…_ Boomer thought about all the time he spent in Mojo's lab, studying all the interesting gadgets, learning how they worked and how they were put together. He knew he could rewire the system if he only had some spare tools and a little bit of time.

Time… Boomer chuckled to himself at the idea. How precious time was…

"Hey!"

Bubbles felt a pulsing in her wrist, and immediately flipped open the top. Boomer suddenly realized his own cuff vibrating, and followed suit.

"Hello?" They simultaneously answered the call.

_"AGHHH!" _

Bubbles and Boomer jumped, shocked by the high-pitch shriek from the other line. Boomer knew the noise right away.

"Mojo! Mojo, what's wrong?"

"Mojo…" Bubbles whispered to herself, poking at the blank computer screen. Mojo Jojo, intriguingly, was communicating through the radio. Mojo's voice sounded far off and… strangled?

"No, no, no, I will not listen. I will not listen to this! AGHHH…"

Bubbles and Boomer listened to some static shuffling, and some violent thumping on a hard surface.

"The voices! No, not the voices. The voices that I hear telling me to do – _AGHHH_! Where is it? Where is the device? It's in here somewhere but… I cannot get it. No. No! _AGHHH_!"

Mojo whimpered, and the thumping grew louder, and suddenly, an ear-splitting smash. Bubbles gasped, holding her right hand to her mouth, staring frightened at the other. Mojo's voice came back… paranoid, angry.

"It's a trick. This isn't happening. You… you're only trying to hurt me… only trying to deceive me… no, NO!"

Silence.

Bubbles stifled a terrified cry. Boomer slammed the lid shut, and looked at Bubbles. She still hovered, her eyes glued to the wrist cuff. Boomer cleared his throat and she came back to her senses, snapping her head up. She shut the lid, and a bead of sweat trickled down her horrified face.

"What's going on?" she demanded. Boomer stood up straight, his feet grazing over some enormous leaves.

"I don't know," he said unfortunately. Bubbles stretched out. She bit her lip and stared back at the sea again.

"Something's not right," she said quietly. She turned to Boomer, giving him an odd look of vigilance. "I think we should keep going."

Boomer nodded, unexpectedly motivated by Bubbles' battle-ready poise.

"Should we try to contact them later?" Boomer asked, gesturing to his wrist. Bubbles shook her head.

"Not any time soon," she said.

"We don't have a lot of time," Boomer reminded her. Bubbles closed her eyes, fully aware of how much time they really had.

"That's why we should keep going. Let's go."

She opened her eyes and dived into the forest. Boomer frowned, glancing at his wrist cuff once more, and dove after her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"_It's a trick. This isn't happening. You… you're only trying to hurt me… only trying to deceive me… no, NO!"_

Silence.

"Did you hear that?"

Blossom shut the wrist cuff and looked at Brick. He rolled his eyes and wriggled a finger in his ear.

"Naw, I didn't."

Blossom sighed, resting her arm on the table. She stared at it, as if waiting for something else to happen. After a few moments, she shook her head and looked at Brick again.

"What do you think this means?" she asked him.

Brick appeared uneasy, thoughts zooming though his head at high-speed. He put one fist into his other hand and cracked his knuckles.

"I have no idea, but it doesn't sound good at all."

" Of course not," Blossom agreed, nodding her head. "But, what can we do? Should I try and contact home again later?"

"Probably not," Brick replied, casting his eyes away. Blossom tilted her head, curious about Brick's expression. He actually looked worried, even a little scared. Blossom definitely felt those, too, but she admittedly was more concerned about the Professor and his whereabouts. Where was he during this call from Mojo Jojo? Was he okay? Was Mojo going to be okay? What was going on at home?

"Are you okay?" Blossom asked suspiciously. Brick lowered his eyebrows and glared at her.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm just hoping things are okay at home."

"Alright," Blossom smiled a bit to herself, pleased to see Brick actually care about something for once… then again, as Brick mentioned before, she may not give him enough credit…

"Well, maybe we shouldn't worry too much about it," Brick said. "Mojo could just be acting weird again."

"That's entirely possible," Blossom said with a laugh. It died quickly, and she grimaced. "It still bothers me, though. I don't know what else to take from this call."

"I don't know either, but calling home now doesn't seem worth it anymore," Brick rested his elbow on the table, his face in his hand. Blossom bit her lip, and pushed her worries back in her mind.

"You're right. Um… let's just continue figuring this code out."

"Yeah, we probably should…" Brick swiped the code off the table and hid his face behind it. Blossom watched him quietly, having no idea what he looked like behind the paper, but was sure he was more than just worried. Could he actually be genuinely worried about Mojo Jojo? Yes, Mojo was something of a father to him, but he wasn't exactly a dad… was he? Blossom really had no clue about the family of Mojo and the Rowdyruff Boys. And what about Him? Wasn't he considered a "father" to the boys, too? _That's so weird_, Blossom thought. _What a messed up family they had, if you could even consider it a family._ Suddenly, Blossom felt this terrible sense of guilt – what was she doing? She was judging the lives of other people, lives she knew little to nothing about. In fact, she realized she had been judging Brick the entire time, knowing almost nothing about him except that they were born enemies. And at the moment, that wasn't the case at all. Blossom felt bad, now, and her thoughts drifted…

"I don't know," Brick said, slamming the paper on the table. "I can't think properly right now."

"Brick?"

Brick turned to her, his eyes a little red and glossy. Blossom lowered her eyes bashfully.

"I'm sorry about Mojo. I hope he's okay," Blossom wrung her hands together, glancing up at Brick. He smirked.

"Thanks."

"Are you hungry?" Blossom looked up at him and held her gaze. Brick looked at her funny.

"Uh… yeah, a little… why?"

Blossom stood up and grabbed her bag. She grinned.

"I… I'll cook something? What are you hungry for?"

"Um…" Brick just stared at her, his eyes wide and confused. "Roast beef."

"Roast beef? Okay. I'll make some. Sound good?"

"Yeah?" Brick looked almost afraid for Blossom's sanity. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"Nothing!" Blossom answered brightly. She slid open the window and hopped outside into the golden sunlight. She turned around and looked back at Brick. "Keep trying to solve the code. I'll be back soon with supplies and I'll cook dinner."

"What for?" Brick asked, still utterly perplexed. Blossom smiled warmly.

"Just consider this a nice gesture. I think… I think we need it?"

"I'm fine…" Brick said slowly, his eyebrows rising.

"Maybe." With that, Blossom shut the window, waved at him behind the glass, and stepped out of sight.

When Blossom returned from the store, armfuls of groceries, she made a fantastic dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and fresh, crispy rolls. After several hours of her cooking and Brick trying to solve the code himself, the two dug into their delicious meal. Brick was thoroughly impressed, and enjoyed every bite. He even had seconds. Blossom happily ate her meal, feeling very accomplished by her cooking skills.

"Where'd you learn this?" Brick said through a mouthful of potatoes.

"The Professor," Blossom replied, daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You really like it?"

"Yeah, I do," Brick said, finally swallowing his food. "You'd make a decent housewife."

Blossom raised her eyebrows dangerously. Brick chuckled and held up his fork.

"Kidding."

Blossom smirked and accepted it. After some time, they were completely finished, and Blossom collected the dirty dishes and quickly washed them in the sink. Brick leaned back in his chair, legs on the table, and he crossed his arms behind his head. He sighed, his middle shuddering a bit with his full stomach.

"So, what was that for again?" he asked Blossom. Blossom did not answer until she finished the dishes and sat back down at the table with him. She laced her fingers together and rested her elbows on the table.

"Just being nice," she replied simply. Brick narrowed his eyes, a bit skeptical.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Blossom said. "We've been here for three weeks now, and I don't know if I've been that… _nice_ to live with."

"Not particularly," Brick agreed honestly. Blossom frowned a bit, but continued.

"So… friends?"

Brick lifted his legs off the tables and let his chair fall back to the floor. He placed his arms on the table and leaned in a bit.

"You're not messing with me?" he asked, with a small smile. Blossom unlaced her fingers and held out her hand.

"Nope. Friends?"

Brick's grin widened and he laughed. He grabbed Blossom's hand and squeezed.

"Friends."

They pulled their hands back, and Blossom grabbed the code from her journal.

"We should probably go back to this," she said.

"You know," Brick looked out the window thoughtfully. "I think I've been looking at you from the wrong angle this whole time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blossom questioned, bemused.

"That you're less of a bitch than I thought…"

Blossom snorted, only slightly offended, but aware of the subtle compliment… but then…

_The wrong angle._

"Hmm…"

Blossom flipped the paper over, and stared at the code. Brick looked back at her, curious.

"What?"

Blossom's eyes widened. She gasped.

"This is it!"

"What's it?"

"We've been looking at the code the wrong way! Look!" She stood up and pushed the code in front of him. He stared at it, having no idea what she meant… then he saw it. The numbers, upside down, read like letters!

"Whoa…"

"Why didn't we think of that?" Blossom asked excitedly, almost to herself more than anything. She opened her journal and placed the paper, upside down, in front her. She started copying the code, writing it down in readable English. Brick leapt up from his chair and stood next to her, reading over her shoulder.

"Thankfully there aren't just numbers in here…" Blossom commented, noting the sporadic placement of letters throughout the eternal list of numbers. After writing the solved sentences twice, she realized the code repeated itself, and there was no need to continue writing it down. She checked over the list really fast to make sure she was not missing anything. Afterwards, she held up the journal with the deciphered message. She and Brick read aloud:

"_Morbucks planned hostile takeover of the city of Chicago on April 8. Says that other families are coming in to take out the Guerellis, but plans on destroying the city and the family itself. Help! We have no power to stop her. Meet with Don and myself on April 1 at 7 PM in your hideout – Tomas."_

"You know, I can't believe it took us this long to figure it out," Brick said, pushing the hair out of his face. Blossom pursed her lips.

"I can't either!" she exclaimed. "It was so simple, too."

"We must have over-thought it…" Brick suggested with a frown.

"Or just looked at it from the wrong angle," Blossom gazed at the code triumphantly. The feeling was short-lived, though, as the message sank into her being. Her lip trembled angrily.

"Takeover, huh?" She set the journal on the table and stood up. She floated back and forth above the ground, as if pacing. Brick watched her from the table.

"So that's all?" Brick laughed. Blossom threw him a dirty look.

"_That's all?_" she repeated.

"Yeah," Brick agreed. He sat on the edge of the table. "Are you worried?"

"As a matter of fact, I am! This is your mafia family, anyway! How are you not?" Blossom was completely shocked that Brick didn't seem at all confused. He just shrugged, and leered at her.

"Blossom the Powerpuff Girl thinks that she can't fix this in time? Come on, even I think you can."

Blossom stopped in mid-air. She eyed him… then she grinned. She glided over to the table and sat down.

"Alright. We should probably get planning then, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah," Brick rolled over on the table and slid into his chair. "Probably."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Buttercup flipped her cuff shut. She blinked a few times, staring at her wrist. She shook her head vigorously.

"What was that?" she asked, now rubbing her ears. Butch shut his own wrist cuff and frowned.

"I have no idea. He sounded like he was in pain," Butch squinted and looked around the cave, as if their surroundings might provide an answer for him.

"Um… I'm kind of afraid to call home," Buttercup stated, nodding her head. She was worried, definitely, but she didn't want to think about what might be going on back in Townsville.

"You think we're the only ones that got that?" Butch asked her thoughtfully. Buttercup shrugged.

"No idea. But um, I don't know if I want to think about it, really," she flicked her bangs out of her face and turned away. She started walking off again. Butch didn't pursue the topic, and followed her instead. Despite what she said, the two ended up discussing it by themselves in their heads. _He did sound like he was in pain,_ Buttercup admitted to herself. _Good!... but… not good. What about the Professor? Should we call back later to check on him?_ Butch had similar thoughts. _What's going on over there? Is Mojo okay? Is Buttercup's professor okay? What does Mojo _not_ want to listen to? What's going on?!_

Soon, Buttercup stopped and collapsed on the ground. She covered her face with her hands, shielding her eyes from the dancing blue lights. Butch sat near her, and immediately pulled out a cigarette.

"Please give me one of those," Buttercup begged after smelling the smoke, her face still hidden. Her voice was muffled behind her hands. Butch lit and handed her one. Buttercup sat up and took a long drag.

"Okay, device? What device was Mojo talking about?" Buttercup demanded.

"You think I know?" Butch asked incredulously. "I've been thinking the same thing."

"I'm calling home again," Buttercup said, flipping open her wrist cuff and pressing the call button.

"Hey, Mojo! Professor?"

No reply.

"Hello?"

"You know they can probably see you…" Butch said, nodding at Buttercup's fingers, balancing the cigarette.

"I don't care," Buttercup spluttered, jabbing at the call button again. "Professor? Mojo? Hello?"

Nothing.

"Damn it!" Buttercup swore, snapping the lid down. "This is ridiculous. I want to talk to the Professor."

"I actually want to know if anyone got the call," Butch said.

"Like who?" Buttercup questioned.

"Like Brick. Or Boomer. Or one of your sisters," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "We both got it, maybe they did, too."

Buttercup didn't even think about that.

"You have a point," she agreed. "I'm sure Blossom'd know what was up right away."

"Maybe," Butch said. He looked above him. His eye caught a small twinkling hidden within the cracks and crevices of the cave ceiling. "Maybe the bitches _watching_ us do, yeah?"

Buttercup looked up, following his gaze to the little twinkling. She snorted and blasted one quick eyebeam, and several rocks and the little camera crumbled to the ground.

"I'm getting really sick of those," she said taking a last puff on the cigarette. She tossed it aside and stood up, he eyes still plastered above. Butch exhaled heavily, and stood up, too.

"Did we ever figure out how Sedusa-hologram got around?" Buttercup asked. Butch shrugged his shoulders and stomped out his cigarette.

"Probably the cameras," Butch answered. "But I don't really know or care. Let's keep going."

"Sure."

The two wandered through the cave several more days, and Buttercup could feel that familiar feeling she had a week or two ago. She felt like they were going nowhere again, and now that she lost track of the days, she suddenly felt anxious. Butch seemed awfully distracted lately -- probably over Mojo Jojo, who was kind of his dad after all -- so she figured that asking him the date was probably a futile effort. Fortunately, she was beyond giving up, especially after spending this long on the mission. She was still getting more and more irritated everyday…

"This is bull," Buttercup huffed, stopping to momentarily bang her head on the cave wall. She didn't, though, and instead rested against the wall, pressing her face into the cold rock. Butch stopped and leaned next to her.

"Tired?" he asked. Buttercup peeked between her arms at him, and noticed that he himself was definitely tired.

"No, but you are, I can tell," she said. She pushed herself back, stumbling backwards a bit. She turned her head up to the ceiling, searching for another camera.

"Where are you?" she called. Butch eyed her wearily.

"What are you doing?"

"Where are you, Sedusa?" Buttercup called again, ignoring Butch. "I swear to God, I'm going to kick your ass the second I see you…"

_"Oh, are you?"_

Buttercup and Butch jumped, surprised to hear the voice reply.

_"Why don't you come find me, Buttercup?"_ said Sedusa's voice, reverberating eerily around them. Buttercup lowered her head and stared at the ground.

"Oh, I will," she hissed.

_"Can't wait to see you, darlings, especially you, Butch…" _

Butch trembled slightly as the voice spoke his name. He rubbed his eyes, suddenly much more awake than before. Buttercup saw this right away.

"Really?" she remarked maliciously.

"Really what?" Butch glared at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, _she_ says your name and you just shiver in your bones, don't you?" Buttercup made a disgusted noise and turned away.

"No!" Butch defended.

"Yeah, okay," Buttercup jeered, her voice deep and totally annoyed.

_"I don't know, I think it's cute. Miss me, honey?" _

Buttercup eyes turned up, her eyebrows still furrowed.

"Shut up, you old cow," she hissed.

_"Aw, you're no fun!"_ Sedusa's milky voice curdled at the end. Buttercup closed her eyes tight, her blood slowly coming to a boil.

"I swear I'm going to kill her," Buttercup announced. She glanced at Butch. "And if you melt again, I'm going to—_OOF_!"

"What are you going to do to my boy, sweetie?"

Buttercup was face to face to Sedusa, her beautiful painted face twisted into a delightfully evil sneer. She looked exactly as before, save for a large, beautiful red jewel hanging around her neck. Buttercup gasped and shot off a laser eye beam that immediately ricocheted off Sedusa face and smacked Buttercup in the face.

"Ah, fuck!"

Buttercup staggered backward, and Butch instinctively reached over and grabbed her, preventing her from falling. Buttercup recovered quickly and jumped out of his arms. She lunged forward and grabbed at Sedusa only to have her hands magically slam into an invisible wall. Sedusa giggled and knocked the wall in front of her.

"Invisible wall. Just so you know."

"Is that _really _you, you nasty old cow?" Buttercup spat, holding one of her slightly injured wrists.

"Of course it is," she replied with another giggle, twirling one her snake-like locks of hair. "I'm standing behind this wall for a reason, you know. I can't have you crashing into me and ruining my hair – I'd have to kill you."

"What are you doing here, Sedusa?" Butch asked, struggling to keep some composure. Buttercup knew, as the acid built up in her body, that Butch was starting to tremble.

"Mmm…" Sedusa lifted her arms and twirled around, flaunting her body like an exotic dancer. "Just enjoying the dark, wet regions of the underground."

"Oh, please," Buttercup groaned. She looked at Butch. "You're going to fall for this?" Unfortunately, Butch was drifting to the wall, coming face to face with Sedusa, his body trembling as much as before. Buttercup could practically feel the steam blowing from her own ears.

"What are you really doing here?" Butch demanded, his voice faltering. Sedusa's makeup-smeared eyelids lowered, and her lips puckered out.

"I'm sure you know _exactly_ why I'm here, Butch, darling," she replied, a sexy lilt in her voice. Butch blinked slowly, and he licked his lips. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead and right palm against the wall. Buttercup punched his arm hard, trying to knock some sense into him. He didn't seem to notice at all. Buttercup growled and punched him in the arm again, harder.

"Earth, Butch. Come back to it!" She turned to Sedusa. "Take down the wall, Sedusa, and stop hiding like a fucking 'fraidy cat."

"Oh, Buttercup, do you really want this wall to go away with your little boy toy like this? I might get jumped, in more ways than one, obviously…"

Buttercup snarled and punched at the invisible wall. It shuddered dangerously, and Sedusa leapt back, her eyes wide. She narrowed her eyes at Buttercup.

"Don't punch my wall, you little bitch, it'll get you nowhere," her voice became dark and high-pitched. She quickly turned back to Butch and leapt back to the wall. She put her hand up against the wall, aligned with Butch's.

"Sweetie, why are you doing this? Why are you with those nasty _Powerslut_ Girls? You weren't made to be good…" Sedusa's magic – whatever is was – was working wonderfully with Butch, who seemed bound to the spot. Buttercup slammed her body against the wall, causing it to shudder and sparkle again. Sedusa grimaced, but ignored her.

"Come on, Butch, come back to us. I _want_ _you_… back here… Him wants you, too. He thinks you would be an irreplaceable asset to our cause."

"Him? Cause? What cause, Sedusa?" Buttercup ordered. Sedusa ignored her, still.

"Butch, sweetie, I miss you. Join forces with us, again, and we'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Butch's eyes opened, finally, and he looked up into Sedusa's eyes. She grinned, her perfect teeth shining white even in the blue flames. Butch smiled weakly.

"I can pull you through, Butch, and you can be with me again. You'd like that, right?"

Butch's eyes flickered, and he nodded.

"No! Butch! What are you doing?" Buttercup jumped onto Butch, desperately trying to pull him away. In one swift move, he snarled and flung her off. Buttercup slammed on the ground, and she looked back up at him.

"Butch!"

Butch stared back into Sedusa's eyes and grinned. She chortled, her sensual laugh caught in her throat. Butch's hand slid across the wall and over her face. Sedusa whispered something and Butch's hand started to slip through the wall. Buttercup felt powerless, paralyzed to the ground, unsure of what to do or how to stop him.

"NO!" she screamed.

Butch reached through and grabbed Sedusa's warm, powdery face. She grabbed his wrist gently and—

_CRUNCH!_

Butch whammed his fist right into Sedusa's face and he leapt through the barrier on top of her. He punched her repeatedly, jamming his fist and elbow in her cheeks again and again. He glanced behind.

"Buttercup! Help me!"

Buttercup, her strength suddenly electrifying her back to life, leapt up off the ground and through the unlocked barrier.

"Water! Get some water!" Butch cried. Sedusa's bruised eyes widened a moment.

"NO!" she shrieked. One lock of hair shot forward and wrapped around Butch's throat. He choked and ripped away from her, shooting several feet away in one forest-green streak. Buttercup sifted fast through her bag, trying to find her water canteen. Sedusa spotted her and shouted, sending a slimy, gelled lock her way. Butch looked behind him.

"Buttercup, watch out!"

Buttercup looked up and impulsively leapt into the air, dodging the lock of hair. Sedusa scrambled off the floor, and started running away. She shot more locks of hair at Butch and Buttercup. Buttercup found her canteen and zoomed toward her. Sedusa roared, and she slammed her feet into the ground.

"I'll kill—"

Butch suddenly jumped forward and tackled her, one arm wrapped around her neck, the other around her mouth. The collapsed on the ground, and Butch held her tight one the ground.

"The hair!" he shouted at Buttercup. Buttercup stopped before them, opened the canteen, and dumped the contents on Sedusa's head. She screeched like a dying bird, and suddenly, she collapsed in Butch's arms.

"No…" she moaned. "My hair!"

Buttercup snatched Sedusa from Butch's arms and slammed her against the cave wall. Blood splattered out of Sedusa's mouth, making his ruby red lips even redder.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Buttercup interrogated. Sedusa whimpered, then spat blood in Buttercup's face. Buttercup winced, and slammed Sedusa against the wall harder.

"Tell me, or I'll kill you!"

"Him." Sedusa stammered. "Him's going to get you."

"Oh, really? What are you to him?"

Butch clambered off the ground and stood next to Buttercup, his breathing short and fast. Sedusa chuckled menacingly.

"What am I to Him? Oh, everything," she replied. "But I've just been watching things for him. That's all."

"Watching how?"

"Watching you two slowly arrive to your death."

Buttercup glanced at Butch. She dropped Sedusa to the ground and stepped away.

"Really…"

"What are we gonna do with her?" Butch asked. "Kill her?"

"No," Buttercup said, shaking her head. "We'll keep her here to suffer. It's not like she has anywhere to go anyway, right?"

"Actually," Butch started, looking at Sedusa's shuddering, bloody body writhing on the floor. "Where did you come from?"

Sedusa chuckled again and she grabbed at the jewel around her neck.

"I… I can go… wherever I want…" she said. She looked up at Butch and Buttercup and grinned. She had a few teeth missing, and her mouth was coated in blood.

"See you later…" she tightened her grip on the jewel and disappeared.

"WHAT?!" Buttercup lunged at the spot Sedusa once was. "Where'd she go? What the—what?" Butch simply stared at Buttercup, shocked.

"I don't know!" he cried. He knelt down and slammed his fist into the ground. "What the hell?"

He stood up again and stepped over to Buttercup. He grabbed her arm and helped her up. Buttercup panted, and she spun around, looking around her.

"Where'd you go?!"

"She's gone," Butch said miserably. Buttercup groaned.

"So close! We were so close!"

"We got information, though," Butch assured. "We'll find her soon."

"Well, let's go!"

Buttercup leapt up, about to shoot off and fly away, but Butch held her down.

"No. Break. We're not going to find her anytime soon. Just… just relax," he said. He dropped to the ground, his back against the cool ground. Buttercup looked at him, going to say something foul and angry… but complied. She dropped down next to him. The two lay there, trying to catch their breath and calm down. Butch grabbed his bag nearby and pulled out his canteen. He took a long drink, and passed it to Buttercup.

"Sorry you're out of water," he apologized sincerely. He was breathing normally again, though he was still exhausted. Buttercup sat up and took the canteen, taking an equally long drink. She swallowed, then capped the canteen and handed it back to Butch.

"You know," Buttercup started, her breath easing back to normal. "I thought you were a goner back there." She chuckled a little.

"Nah," Butch said, shaking his head. "Not this time." He looked at Buttercup and smiled. "Thought you were gonna kill me, though."

"I was," Buttercup said. "I'm proud o' you, now, though. She was so disgustingly… I don't even know."

"Yeah, she was, but she's not what I want. Not at all."

"Good!" Buttercup exclaimed. "Then I would have to kill you here and now." Butch eyed her, a strange little smirk on his face.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Buttercup replied, lying back on the ground. "I just would."

Butch lay back next to her, and rolling on his side to face her. He just stared at her, until Buttercup glanced at him, then double taked.

"What?"

"…Nothing." Butch smiled to himself and rolled over away from her.

"What?" Buttercup insisted. Butch just shook his head and grabbed his bag. He pushed it under his neck and propped his head up. Buttercup looked at him a moment, confused, and rolled onto her side, away from him. Her thoughts wandered for a minute, wondering just why she would kill Butch if he were still interested in Sedusa. _Why would I? Why should I care? It's not like I…_

_Oh, shit. _

Buttercup shook away the thought, and tried to fall asleep. Scary images flashed through her head like a bad film, scary images including her… and Butch…

_No. Not happening. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Bubbles and Boomer drifted through the treetops, their voices silent. Neither had much to say to each, since they both had the same questions and concerns. Bubbles went back and counted all the days, figuring out the date: April 3. In a week, the Chemical X flowing through her body was going to expire. Regardless, Bubbles was determined to complete this mission, despite the lack of time, lack of further clues, and the disturbing call from Mojo. She listened to the internal voice motivating her, telling her it would be okay and to keep going; the voice that coincidentally happened to sound an awful lot like Blossom. That didn't make things that much easier, though, considering how much she truly missed her sisters.

Boomer was almost out of his mind with worry, but didn't want Bubbles to know. He just wanted to sit and think about things, but again – there just wasn't time. Things were so much easier when he could just sit back in some secluded area in some untraceable location in the world and just… think. Thinking was only way he could figure out anything. Well, thinking and observing. There wasn't much time to do both, unfortunately. All of his thinking was put aside for observing the beach and tropical forest around him, and even Bubbles. Bubbles… a strange beacon of undying faith in this dark situation. She remained undaunted in this quest, and for that, Boomer was thankful. He never had much integrity or follow-through, because – let's face it – no one ever had to depend on him.

Bubbles stopped at a tall, vine-covered tree, and sat on the highest branch. She reached high into the trees and pulled off a nice, ripe fruit. She rubbed it on her shirt and took a bite. She grabbed another and looked for Boomer. He landed on the branch next to her, and she handed the fruit to him.

"You know, we still haven't found anything," Boomer said quietly, tossing the fruit around in his hands.

"I know." Bubbles took another bite.

"Can't we just take a break, or something? Just relax? Think?"

"I suppose," Bubbles said with a shrug. She sat on the branch and began to swing her legs back and forth. She took another bite and looked at Boomer. "Haven't you been thinking this entire time? All I do is think… think and fly…" her voice drifted away, along with her gaze. She stared out into the forest, taking another bite of fruit.

"Not really," Boomer disagreed. "I don't think that much. I haven't been able to."

"Why not?" Bubbles asked, turning back to him.

"There isn't time! It's all looking around, searching for clues, and sleeping. We've done almost nothing for days now, and Mojo Jojo. What about him? What happened?"

"I don't know, Boomer," Bubbles replied, tossing her finished fruit to the ground far below. "I don't have answers. Why think about questions and go around in circles?"

"I guess you're right…" Boomer frowned. He did not necessarily agree with her idea, as wise as her statement sounded. Bubbles floated up.

"Let's go to the shore. We haven't been there in weeks," Bubbles suggested. She zoomed up into the clear sky above. Boomer briefly thought to himself that was indeed weeks ago that they were at the beach… they definitely have wasted a lot of time, haven't they? He sighed, blowing away the dreary thought, and floated up to the sky after Bubbles. The two flew a mile or so away to a small beach area, more rocky and dirty than the area they landed on the first day. Boomer hopped on a large rock and sat down. Bubbles quickly took off her boots and socks, tossing them in the sand. She stepped into the water, letting the waves drift over her toes, her feet, her ankles… she stepped further, so the water was finally up to her knees. She basked in the hot, glowing sun, and let the warm waves smack against her skin. Water splashed onto her clothes.

Boomer was almost jealous of Bubbles. While he could only sit there deep in thought, she was out in the water happily enjoying nature, despite the circumstances. He crossed his arms and watched her. Bubbles spun around and kicked some water into the air, which rained back down around her like glittering confetti. She giggled and turned around.

"Why are you sitting there?" she asked him. "Come on! The water's really nice!"

Boomer frowned and picked at a fingernail.

"No, I think I'm okay," he replied. Bubbles huffed and rushed over to him. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the air.

"I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer, Boomer. Come play in the water!" she pulled him out above the water and let go of him. He snorted and streaked back to his rock. He sat back down, defiant, glaring at Bubbles. She looked at him confused… then she pursed her lips and zipped back over. She grabbed his arms and tugged.

"Come on!" Boomer pulled back, matching her force, and made sure he didn't move. Bubbles let go and looked at him.

"What's your problem?" she demanded, folding her arms across he face.

"What's _my_ problem? What's _yours?_ You're just playing in the water like there's nothing wrong, like we don't have a week left to live or have our powers or whatever." Boomer lifted his legs up and relaxed his arms on his knees. He looked away. Bubbles simply looked at him kindly, almost amused.

"Sometimes it's nice to just stand here and soak up the sun," she said slowly, looking up into the clear blue sky. "The heat just warms up all the cold feelings in your body, and then things don't seem as bad. It calms me more than anything. Weren't you the one that wanted to relax anyway?"

Boomer's eyes drifted back to Bubbles. He looked up at her, into her eyes. She flicked an eyebrow up and she smiled. Boomer sighed and stood up.

"There we go…" Bubbles whispered. She hovered back above the water and sank in… then, she kicked, a large amount of water flung through the air and landed right on Boomer. He gasped, water splashing on his face and clothes. His mouth hung open, and he blinked away the impulse to kick something.

"What the—"

"Come on, Boomer! Come get me!" Bubbles taunted. She laughed and zipped away, a light blue streak blazing against the darker blue sky. Boomer wiped water off his face and chased after her. She twirled around in the sky, cleverly avoiding Boomer's frantic attempts to catch her. Boomer staggered through the air, zigzagging around Bubble's smooth loops and pin curls. He heard her giggle from far away, and he watched her dive right into the water out of sight.

Bubbles zoomed through the water like a torpedo, tiny bubbles gurgling past her ears, the salty seas barely stinging her eyes. She glanced at the surface of the water and she leapt up—

"GOTCHA!"

Bubbles squealed as Boomer seized her, wrapping his limbs around her. They cannonballed down to the water with a big, enormous splash. Bubbles laughed tremendously, her sides almost splitting, as water rained around them. Boomer couldn't even help but laugh, the salt water and dark sand settling in his hair, on his skin, warmed by the sunlight and happiness of the moment. Bubbles looked at Boomer and grinned.

"For someone who travels all over the world… you don't get out much, do you?" Boomer narrowed his eyes at her, and pushed her back in the water. She squeaked, and she smacked water into his face. Boomer chuckled and leapt out of the water, hopping over to his rock. He scratched his head, picking twigs and pebbles out of his hair. Bubbles got up and headed over to the shore. She stepped up and hovered a few feet off the ground. In one quick move, she twirled around faster and faster, her body whirling around like a tornado. After a few seconds, she slowed down to a nice graceful stop, her clothes and hair a bit windswept, but dry. Boomer laughed.

"Your own personal hair dryer, huh?" he remarked. Bubbles shrugged and grabbed her boots.

"It's just nice having super powers," she said. She slipped on her socks and laced up her boots. She looked back at Boomer, who was now just wringing the water out of his hair.

"I'm sure you could do it, too," she added. Boomer shook his head, whipping his wet golden locks around.

"I'm fine, thanks," he said.

"Suit yourself…" Bubbles stood up, making sure her boots were on just right. She walked over to Boomer's rock, and sat a few inches away from him. She looked up at him.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Honestly?" Boomer began, kneeling down and sitting down near her. "Not particularly. You had to bring up powers, didn't you?"

"Ugh!" Bubbles jumped up and stomped away. Boomer bit his lip, immediately regretting his words.

"I'm sorry, I'm just—"

"Negative," Bubbles finished for him. She glimpsed back over her shoulder. "You just want to mope. You don't want to think."

"Yes, I do!" Boomer exclaimed. He frowned, reconsidering that statement. "I mean, no. I just… I just want to think things through, really… What's wrong with that?"

"I don't know!" Bubbles answered, raising her hands up. "But thinking and moping isn't going to help you. Might as well enjoy the time you have, right?"

"Oh, I'd love to, if there was more of it!"

"Enjoy _what you have_, I said!" Bubbles yelled.

"But there isn't a lot of it is what _I_ said!" Boomer yelled back.

"You're so stupid!" Bubbles cried, crossing her arms and dropping to the ground.

"I'm not stupid!" Boomer shouted defensively. Bubbles snorted, and didn't reply. Boomer rolled his eyes and turned away. "Fine, be that way." Bubbles looked over her shoulder back at him and grunted.

"Yeah, be that way."

The two sat away from each other, seething, dwelling in their anger. Bubbles was furious at Boomer – why was he being this way? Why did he just want to wallow around in his own misery? What would that accomplish? Boomer was just as angry with her, though – did she not understand? Was she just ignorant, or was she actually insensitive to the matters at hand? Did she ever think about things and not try to escape with childish pursuits like playing in the water? The two were so engrossed in their own thoughts that they didn't notice right away something watching them.

Bubbles combed her fingers through the sand and found a small pebble. Without even bothering to look, she grabbed it and threw it in the water. She combed through the sand again, tracing little doodles with her fingers, and found another pebble. She grabbed it and tossed that one into the water, too. She combed through the sand some more, reaching her arm around, tracing a big, colorless rainbow from one side to the other… one side to the other… one side to the—

"AH!"

"_Squeak!" _

Bubbles snapped her hand away and turned to face a small little animal. It twittered at her angrily, it's fluffy tail fluttering to and fro. Bubbles mouth dropped a bit, as soon as she realized… she could understand the creature. It was a squirrel.

"Boomer!" she called. Boomer turned back to her, his face annoyed. But his expression changed as his eyes set on the little squirrel.

"Whoa!" He leapt off the rock and towards Bubbles and the squirrel. The squirrel heard him and dashed away, frightened.

"No! Don't go!" Bubbles called back. She blinked and quickly said her sentence again, only thins time, in short little cheeps. The squirrel stopped, almost in mid-leap, and turned around. It stared at her. Bubbles cheeped excitedly at him, and he gradually hopped his way back over. Boomer stayed a few feet a way, kneeling in a strange uncomfortable, karate-like position.

"What's going on?" he asked. Bubbles, ignoring him, held out her hand, and the squirrel leapt into it. She picked him up and plopped him onto Boomer's rock. Boomer lost his balance right away, and immediately scrambled up and knelt next to Bubbles. The two watched the squirrel as it chattered on about something.

"He's asking for help," Bubbles told Boomer eagerly. The two listened, Bubbles understanding every chirp, Boomer struggling to find out what exactly was going on.

"There's a… there's a place," Bubbles interpreted. "Filled with animals… and big scary men… machines… machines that go into the animals brains… No!"

Bubbles looked at Boomer. Boomer's hand flew to his pocket, and he pulled out the little device from the monkey. Bubbles pointed to it.

"Like this one?" Boomer asked. Bubbles translated to the squirrel. It chattered some more.

"Yes!" Bubbles cried, smiling at Boomer. Boomer cracked a smile, too, hungry for more.

"It's a… a lab… tests… he escaped from it! He wants us to go to it!"

"Well, where is it? Who's there?" Boomer queried. Bubbles nodded, and proceeded to ask the squirrel. The squirrel cheeped relentlessly.

"It's… not too far away… and there's a big monster…a big… pink monster?... in overalls—" Bubbles breathed sharply and looked at Boomer. They shared a quick thought, and both spoke,

"Fuzzy Lumpkins."

"Can he take us there?" Boomer asked. Bubbles asked the squirrel. It nodded it's head, and looked from Boomer back to Bubbles.

"Yep!"

Bubbles and Boomer stood up, looking at each other. Bubbles was almost trembling with excitement.

"You think this is it?" she whispered. Boomer rubbed at his neck anxiously.

"It might be…" he answered, wary. Bubbles reached out her arm, and the squirrel leapt on her arms and scuttled up onto her shoulder.

"This is probably what we were waiting for, Boomer. You ready?" Bubbles eyes twinkled. Boomer was obviously very excited, but his innate pessimism got the better of him. He was hoping this really was important, and it would be a shame if it was just another chance to lose time. He looked into Bubbles' eyes, and then… he smiled. She looked fearlessly determined, and somehow, Boomer was totally inspired.

"Alright, let's go."

Bubbles grinned and she looked down at the squirrel. She and Boomer floated into the air, ready to start flying.

"Lead the way, little guy!"

After a few short cheeps, Bubbles pointed away, and she and Boomer rocketed forward into the high treetops.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Only two days later, the very first day of April, Blossom was a cleaning fiend, tidying the grimy little room as much as possible for the upcoming guests. Beads of sweat poured down Blossom's face as she scrubbed furiously on the now shimmering window. She picked at a tiny little speck, flicking her fingernail over it again and again, but it just refused to come off. Blossom grunted and smacked the window with her dust rag.

"This place isn't clean enough!" she cried. She tossed the rag into the sink nearby and sank into one of the chairs at the table. Brick sat in the couch across the room and constantly checked the time on his wrist cuff.

"I don't there's much you can do," he told Blossom, checking his wrist yet again. Blossom bit her lip and looked around the room.

"You really couldn't get anything better?" she asked. Brick rolled his eyes.

"I already told you, no," he replied. "Tomas got it for us anyway, I doubt he'll care too much."

"What about the Don?" Blossom's eyes were wide, watering a little with worry.

"He'll be fine, trust me," Brick assured. "He's been in worse places…"

Blossom flipped open her own wrist cuff and checked the time: 6:51 P.M. She snapped the lid shut and glanced out the window.

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" Blossom asked Brick nervously, twisting oddly in her chair to see all angles of the alley outside. Brick sighed and pressed his hands onto his eyes.

"Really, Blossom," he groaned. "Your anxiety is going to kill me."

Blossom shot him a dirty look and went back to staring out the window. Brick peeked at her from behind his hands.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'a watched pot never boils?'"

Blossom turned around and crossed her arms.

"Yes, I have, but I imagine your _friends_ would be more punctual, considering their profession and whatnot—"

"Open the window," Brick ordered, pointing to the window. Blossom eyed him, and turned around. She jumped. Outside stood a tall gangly man with dark curly-hair and the familiar, stocky, salt-and-pepper-haired Don Guerelli. Blossom leapt over the table and opened the window. She stepped onto the ground and graciously gestured the men through the window.

"Hello…" she stammered, holding out one hand, and smoothing out some tangles in her hair with the other. Tomas stepped through first, ignoring Blossom's hand, but nodding to her gratefully. The Don was much kinder, allowing Blossom to help him in inside. He then stopped and gently kissed the back of her hand.

"_Buona sera,_ Blossom," he rumbled. Blossom blushed as her hand slipped away from his.

"How did you—"

"Of course I know who are you. You're Brick's friend," Guerelli said with a smile.

Brick stood up when the two entered the room. Tomas swaggered over to him and they embraced, sharing a quick greeting. Then Brick eagerly welcomed the Don, grasping both hands firmly around the Don's hand. Guerelli grinned, a few gold teeth glinting in the lamplight, and he, too, embraced Brick.

"Fratellino Brick. How are you?" Guerelli asked afterwards, his voice vibrating into the floorboards.

Blossom put a hand on her chest, feeling her heart thump violently under her skin. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. It wasn't even who the other men were, or the situation itself, that made her so uneasy; it was that Blossom felt the need to be more respectful than she ever imagined. She did not want to offend two of top criminal men in the city, especially when she was about to negotiate with them. She knew she was overcompensating, too, as she repressed every instinct in her body to grab these men and hurl them in the nearest prison. But now was not the time for such thoughts. _Time_, Blossom reflected. _If only there was more time…_ She then remembered how much time she _did_ have: nine days. _Well, nine days if the Professor truly is correct, and that idea is still subject to controversy…_

"Blossom, bring the chairs over here," Brick commanded, interrupting Blossom's thoughts. Blossom nodded and grabbed the to chairs from the table. She dragged them over and placed them in front of the couch, where sat Guerelli and Tomas. She sat down, straightening her skirt over her knees. Brick sat next to her, his fingers laced together on her legs.

"So…" he began. "Tomas? _Signore _Guerelli?"

"So I see you figured out my code," Tomas said _shortly_.

"Actually, Blossom did," Brick said, glancing at her. Blossom smiled weakly, her hand shooting up to her face to push away a non-existent strand of hair.

"Very good," Guerelli complimented. "We weren't sure if you would find out in time, no offense to either of you."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, why didn't you inform me earlier? Perhaps in a different way?" Brick asked his question carefully, hoping not to sound too impolite.

"What other way?" Guerelli countered, genuinely curious. "What other way without Princess finding out?"

"Surely, sir, she isn't _that_ involved in things?" Brick continued his cautious questioning.

"Ah, but she is, Brick," Tomas spoke finally. "Her nosey little self is either personally involved in every affair, or has paid informants."

"Why not, you know, _silence her_?" Brick queried, saying the last words quietly. Blossom looked at him, shocked.

"You mean _kill her_?" she gasped. Brick and Tomas turned to her and glared. Guerelli smiled warmly and looked at Blossom.

"We would prefer if you chose your words well, and spoke them at a much lower volume," he said to her. Blossom sank a little in her chair, suddenly feeling very much like a small child.

"Sorry, sir," she mumbled.

"It's quite alright," Guerelli said, lifting his hand, demonstrating his acceptance. Tomas rolled his eyes and turned back to Brick.

"Considering her deep involvement into things, it wouldn't exactly be a wise decision to just shut her up."

"Excuse me…" Blossom interrupted. She licked her lips, as Tomas glowered at her from his seat.

"First and foremost," she continued bravely. "Could you tell us exactly what is going on in the… well, the family, I guess? I don't think we know all the facts…"

Blossom looked from Tomas, to Brick, to Guerelli, then back at Tomas. She expected more dirty looks but amazingly, Tomas smirked and nodded.

"A decent question… well, Princess Morbucks came to us a few months ago, offering some merchandise – weapons, actually. And good ones. Some of her weapons included high-tech guns, bullet and laser, some really magnificent explosives, and knives you could never imagine. She even had some vehicles that were definitely _priceless_. She only asked for one thing in return: power. She wanted to be _consigliere_, up there with me and Frederick and Giuseppe. She – this outsider – wanted to be an advisor!"

"She presented beautifully," Guerelli added. "And her commodities seemed well-worth the exchange. Though I could never fully trust her."

"Then what?" Blossom asked, almost on the edge of her seat.

"I began to test her," Guerelli answered. "Test her value to our business, test her determination, and most of all, her devotion." Tomas nodded, and politely jumped in to explain the rest.

"We let her start a trade, selling her goods to other businesses around the globe. She sold to everyone: France, Japan, Kenya, Colombia… she proved herself as an impeccable salesman and extortionist, with more passion than most of our men combined. She was ruthless, slick, intelligent, and _beautiful_, if I say so myself."

Blossom's composure faltered, her instincts rising a little. Fortunately, She regained it instantly. Tomas went on without noticing.

"Then after receiving the blessing of the higher-ups, including myself, she felt like one of the family, if you could excuse the pun. We were actually grateful for your little fling with her, Brick, and introducing her to us."

An awkward smile leapt on Brick's face, and he glimpsed at Blossom. Blossom bit her tongue, and kept her eyes plastered to Tomas.

"But then offered this big plan to _Signore_. She told him not to tell anyone else until he thought it through himself."

"Naturally, you know?" Brick stated with a grin. Tomas cracked a smile, his first smile of the night, and it made him look rat-like and smarmy. Blossom shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Of course!" Tomas laughed.

"There is a reason for my advisors," Guerelli agreed. "Tomas, Frederick, and Giuseppe were informed right away."

"What was the plan?" Blossom asked. Don Guerelli frowned and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. He responded.

"She wanted to start a very strategic, brilliantly planned war against the rival families of Chicago."

The four sat in for a second in silence, soaking in the idea. Blossom, sadly, was the first to break it. She laughed.

"Princess sincerely thinks she could declare war on all the other mafia families of the city? Honestly? How ridiculous could she get?"

Brick's head slowly turned on his neck, stopping when his dangerous and bloodthirsty eyes landed right on Blossom's. His fiery red eyes actually sent shivers through her spine, and all the humor leaked through her body. She started to sweat profusely.

"Clearly," Guerelli started. "Your friend, Brick, has no idea what she's talking about."

Blossom's pride leaked out of her body along with her pride. She sat in her chair, feeling like an insensitive, uneducated dunce. Guerelli smiled at her, though, and not at all sardonically. His eyes glimmered considerately.

"She _is _ridiculous. That is why we declined."

Blossom abruptly felt relieved. She then wished she could find some way to thank the Don for being the absolute most considerate human being on the planet.

"So then what's the problem?" Brick questioned. Guerelli turned to him.

"Well, your old friend wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Seriously?" Brick's mouth hung a little.

"Her devotion did not lie within any but herself. She had her own agenda…"

"Yeah," Tomas ensured. "So she took it upon herself to tell all the soldiers, all our allies, as well as some friends of her own, that they were going to take down all the rival families in the city, _without_ worrying about bystanders, and destroying every racket, warehouse, and business. She will provide her best weapons to every soldier and lead all the troops until everything is under her command. Every soldier trusts her, too. With her arsenal and power aiding them, they're virtually invincible. "

"How does she think she could get away with this?" Brick demanded. "What about the risks? The repercussions? What about you, _Signore_? Will nobody listen to you?"

"It's difficult to listen to a dead man, Fratellino," Guerelli said quietly.

"A dead man?" Blossom repeated. Guerelli nodded.

"Every man should know when to escape when it is necessary. I conveniently stepped out and tossed myself into the Lake after Princess took matters into her own hands."

"Why would you do that, if you don't mind me asking?" Brick questioned.

"Yes, sir," Blossom followed. "How will this help?"

"With everyone convinced of my passing, including Princess, I have the chance to come to you two and request your services."

"Oh…" Blossom considered the simple, yet decently clever plan…

"No one will respect your suicide, sir," Brick stated warily, rubbing his knees.

"But there is no suicide, Fratellino," Guerelli reminded him. "I obviously did not really murder myself. I decided instead to entrust every ounce of faith to you and your friend Blossom, placing the matter into your hands. With your powers and skills, I believe you two can stop Princess."

"We wouldn't come to you if we could've fixed it ourselves," Tomas admitted.

"So you want us to stop Princess before she tries to take over the city…" Blossom said, thinking everything through.

"Yes," Guerelli replied with a nod.

"And in the meantime, stop our men from screwing everything up. Convince them they're doing the wrong thing; that they're going against the family name. Threaten them, beat them, _kill_ them if necessary. Just stop this thing."

"Do you accept?" Guerelli asked, his face suddenly very serious, very business-like.

"Of course," Brick said. He looked at Blossom.

"How could I decline?" Blossom said with a smile.

"We're pleased to hear this." Tomas stood up and thrust his hand forward to Brick, who grabbed it, stood up, and shook it. Don Guerelli hoisted himself up and opened his arms wide. Brick hugged him, and shook his hand afterwards. Tomas briskly turned to Blossom and held out his hand. Blossom grabbed his hand, mustering smile on her face, and shook it once. Guerelli took Blossom's hand and shook it slowly. He thanked her.

"Signore?" Brick looked at the Don. "Where will you be? Can we contact you?"

"I am with my son and the other _consiglieri_ in hiding. We will contact you if need be," Guerelli replied simply, though with a hint of forewarning in his voice, like a stern father. Brick accepted this, and led him and Tomas to the window and gestured them out, helping the Don step through the frame. Tomas turned around and stuck his head back in the room.

"April 8th. I will come back personally in a few days to hear your plans. Good luck." With that, he ducked out and disappeared.

Brick watched outside the window until he could no longer see Tomas nor the Don. After a few seconds, he shut the window and locked it. He turned to Blossom and held up his hand.

"You are _so – damn – lucky,_" he said reproachfully.

"Why?" Blossom spat. "I thought the meeting went well!"

"You're lucky the Don is as understanding as he is. I mean, I told you to watch what you say around those people!" Brick yelled.

"I did!" Blossom retorted.

"You did not! You came off as a complete dumbass!"

"Oh, excuse me for not having the _eloquence_ that you apparently have…"

"I _know_ how to talk to these people, _you_ don't."

Blossom stood up quickly, floating into the air and knocking the chair behind her. She made a disgusted noise and hopped onto the bed.

"I'm sorry, okay?" she hissed, not bothering to look at Brick. She kicked off her boots and curled up next to the wall. She was already worried for the job ahead, and now she was humiliated. She already felt like an idiot; she didn't need Brick helping. She squeezed her eyes tight, hot tears welling behind her eyelids.

"I don't know these people, anyway. I don't deal with these people…"

Brick stared at her. Her back was facing him, and rose up and down as she breathed. She shuddered a little bit. Brick scowled, knowing that she was right. She didn't act _that_ bad, after all, and she _was_ out of her element…

"Alright, just… don't worry about it."

Blossom did not respond back. In the bed, a lonely tear slid down her cheek, scolding her cool skin. She wiped it away fast and readjusted the pillow under her neck. Brick, still by the window, scratched a spot on his nose.

"I guess we'll start planning tomorrow, yeah?" he asked.

Blossom still did not respond. Brick exhaled, and glided over to the couch. He turned and fell onto it, the thin cushions sinking beneath him. He stared up at the grubby ceiling, a spider scurrying out of the lamplight. Brick sighed.

"I'm sorry, Blossom."

Blossom smiled to herself. She wiped away another tear and sniffled,

"Thanks."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Several days after fighting Sedusa, Butch and Buttercup were once again wandering through the dimly lit, musty-smelling hall. They didn't find any other clues, besides the occasional camera, and they definitely did not see any sign of Sedusa. They barely talked, much to Butch's surprise. Buttercup actually seemed rather edgy and aloof with him lately, and Butch couldn't quite figure out why. He tried to talk to her, relentlessly asking her random questions and making small talk. But Buttercup continue to act strangely with him, answering all his questions short and sweet, and hardly contributing to any conversation.

Buttercup felt that she had every reason in the world to avoid Butch, especially with these new thoughts and images haunting her… images she tried hastily to block away with her internal barricades. It was difficult to repress her feelings, though, given the situation: the two of them, holed up in this claustrophic little cave…alone. _Stop it!_ Buttercup commanded herself. _There are _no_ feelings! I'm just freaking out, that's all. I mean, It's almost the end of the thirty days, right? I'm panicking, right? Yeah_, Buttercup reassured herself. _Yeah, I'm just being stupid. _

"So do you, um, wanna break?" Butch offered, stopping and pulling out his pack of cigarettes. He shook them at her. Buttercup glanced at his shoulder, obviously trying to avoid eye contact.

"No, I'm good," she replied, continuing to trot along. Butch frowned a little, and tucked the pack in his pocket.

"What's wrong?" Butch demanded. Buttercup shrugged, not looking at him.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Bull."

"No, really! I'm fine."

Butch sighed and rubbed his temples. He was – shockingly – worried about her behavior, and he just couldn't understand or… _help?_ Butch chuckled to himself, wondering why he would even _want_ to help. Buttercup was a big girl, and she could help herself. Maybe this was simply her way of dealing with things – time _was_ catching up to them. Butch didn't want to think of how much time was left, no matter how much it chased him. _Five days_, Butch reminded himself on accident. _Five days left…_ He then thought about things he wished he could do, since he had no idea what would happen after those five days. He wished he could sleep in a normal bed, not on a dirty cave floor. He wished he could down some delicious food instead of the processed crap they had to eat. He wished he could go out downtown; out at the bars and clubs just before midnight, maybe even find a bit of action with a nice, hot girl— Butch blinked away any further thoughts.

"Hey, Buttercup?" he called. Buttercup shook her head, and Butch took that as an indication of her attention.

"Do you… do you know how many days we have left?"

Buttercup stopped and folded her arms. She turned around and looked at Butch's left ear.

"No. And I don't know if I _want_ to know." Buttercup scrunched her eyes together and turned away.

"So then what's up with you?"

Buttercup stomped her foot and turned back around. She finally made eye contact with Butch, her eyes small and murderous.

"I'm _sick_ of you asking stupid questions!" she yelled. She lashed out at him, stepping close to him and swinging her fist. Butch leaned back, dodging her. "There's _nothing_ wrong with me! I'm just sick of being in here, heading off to God-knows-where, eating shitty food, finding pieces to a puzzle we don't even know how to solve, and being with _you_."

"Me?" Butch said, stunned. "What'd I do?"

"Well, _yeah._ I told you we weren't friends!" Buttercup reminded him.

"I never said we were either," Butch said, shuffling his feet.

"Yeah, well, everything is just pissing me the fuck off, and I just… I just want to be by myself. I don't even know what's going to happen to me in, what, a week?"

"Five days."

"_Five days?" _Buttercup screamed. _"We have five days left?!"_

"Yeah…" Butch kicked at a tiny pebble and watched it bounce away – now _he_ was the one avoiding eye contact. Buttercup made a noise and she knelt down to the ground. She held her face in her hands, her body shuddering tremendously. Butch looked at her, feeling rather helpless. Buttercup stood back up, her eyes slightly red. Butch waited for her next move. She looked at him, giving him a treacherous look that he could not decipher. Her face seemed to be a mixture of sadness, fear, and insistence, like she was begging him to do something, but not saying what.

"What…. What do you want me to do?" Butch asked quietly. Buttercup closed her eyes and turned away, stumbling away on the uneven footing. She whispered, her voice floating back behind her.

"Leave me alone."

Butch exhaled, feeling somehow dejected. He let her walk some distance ahead before following her. They continued for another hour or so, not saying one thing to one another. Butch watched Buttercup, mostly because he felt the need to, but he soon noticed the walls getting taller and more spread out. The cave seemed to be widening the further they trekked, and Butch hoped Buttercup noticed, too. After a while, he could barely see the ceiling, and the blue torches seemed closer, making for the size of the darkness. It seemed impossible not notice anymore, and Butch addressed Buttercup again.

"Hey, um, you _do_ notice the world getting bigger, right?" he shouted. Buttercup, far ahead, stopped.

"Yeah, I do," she called back. Then, she leapt up, and rocketed away. Butch instinctively jumped up and followed her, aligning himself with her light green streak.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he called. Buttercup did not respond, her body a small blip in the shadows. Then she stopped, her streak suddenly disappearing. Butch skidded along the ground to a halt behind her. He was about to repeat his question, and then… he saw it.

Before them lay a small lake, with an enormous waterfall pouring from the far end away from them. Streams trickled out from the water, flowing into cracks and crevices in the walls. Droplets from the falls misted the air, dampening the duo's faces. The torchlights reflected into the rippling water, scattering into a thousand tiny blue lights.

"Wow…" Butch mumbled. Buttercup laughed a little, marveled at the fresh, beautiful sight. It was such a change, compared the usual rocky décor.

"Thirsty?" Butch asked her. Buttercup looked towards him, her eyes resting on his forearm.

"Yeah, actually."

With that, Buttercup hovered over to the bank and knelt down. She cupped her hands and lowered them into the water.

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you…"_

Sedusa's cold voice made Buttercup jump, and she fell forward into the water. She caught herself, just before her face dunked beneath the surface… but not before the water start to fizz. Buttercup hopped back, and watched the little bubbles grow and grow to a steady boil. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Is that you again, you ugly hag?" she called. Butch grabbed Buttercup's arm and pulled her away from the lake. He pointed.

"Look…"

Water churned and swirled in many spots all over the lake. Then, long mechanical limbs erupted from the lake. They reached out and out, doubling – tripling – several limbs sprouting out together. Each leg, bending at two distinct sockets, sank back in the water, lifting out larger units of machinery. Butch and Buttercup watched, mesmerized, as a dozen great machines popped from the water, each with gigantic bodies, and eight mechanical limbs, four on each side. At the center of each body, were small spherical devices brandishing sharp, spiky pinchers.

"Spiders…" Buttercup whispered.

"_Say hello to my little friends…"_ Sedusa's voice rang from above.

Butch looked at Buttercup and grinned.

"Ready to fight?"

Buttercup's eyebrows flickered, and she smiled. She balled up her fists, sending a wonderful, familiar sensation into her body. Every single thought in her mind was forced deep into her system, and all her anger and aggression was brought forth in one great adrenaline rush. Oh, she was _more_ than ready.

"Let's do this."

Butch and Buttercup zoomed off in different directions, and dove straight at the spiders. Butch slammed his entire body into one of them, grabbing at all the limbs and ripping them clean off the machine. Buttercup landed a well-practiced roundhouse kick, smashing away two or three spiders at once. The spiders frantically swiped back, swinging their limbs to and fro.

"_AGH!" _

One spider smacked Butch in the back, throwing him across the room. He crumbled against the wall, smoke bursting around him. He fell to the ground, but immediately leapt back up, and hurtled back into the fight. He stopped in the air, surrounded by five or six of the spiders. He chuckled dangerously, and he summoned power from his fists, electric green swirling around him. He raised his arms grandly and crashed them together, creating a tremendous explosion, destroying all the spiders at once. He laughed, and went after some across the room.

Buttercup tackled one of the spiders, and blasted away every one of its limbs but one. She snatched the limb, lifted it above her head, and twirled it around like a mace. She smacked the makeshift spider-mace at two nearby spiders, crushing their inner workings, and whacking their useless bodies away. Buttercup twirled the limb again and hurled the whole thing away. It collided into the wall with such force that it burst into a billion metal pieces and punched the wall with a perfect round dent.

Buttercup hovered in the air and watched Butch take out the last spider. He whammed it into the lake, the legs snapping from the sockets and its body rolling beneath the surface. He tossed the legs into the water and zipped over to Buttercup. He smiled wildly. Buttercup beamed at him, and looked back up at the ceiling.

"That was nothing!" she laughed.

_"Did you think that was it?"_

The two turned around, back to back and braced themselves for another wave. They watched the water below churn again, emerging spiders whirring to life, their limbs splashing out.

"We can take care of this," Butch laughed.

_"That's not all…"_

The team saw the ground and the walls shake, the walls crumbling in on themselves. Butch glanced at Buttercup, catching her fearsome, bloodthirsty gaze.

"You think we can take 'em all?"

"Are you kidding?" Buttercup's eyes met with his. She sneered. "I'm still a Powerpuff Girl."

Butch and Buttercup watched as the final number of spiders rounded up to almost fifty. Buttercup counted them fast, promptly devising the best plan of attack. Butch took Buttercup's lead, and the two shot forward to clean up the mess.

Spiders swarmed onto Butch, dozens of limbs grabbing at his face, his torso, and his legs. He punched and kicked them, annihilating some with several eye beams. He bolted forward, and shot through some body units, pushing out all their wires and gears. He rebounded against the wall, shooting back through another pack of them. Across the room, Buttercup spun in mid-air, faster and faster, creating an immense tornado, whizzing together water, dirt, and rock. She sucked in numerous spiders, holding them tight in her strong spinning grip. After a quick breath, she stopped. The centripetal force blasted them around the room, hitting them against the walls, the water, and each other.

Buttercup cried triumphantly, though too soon – one spider snuck up and snapped its pincers around her thigh, cutting deep into her flesh. She howled with pain, then jammed her elbow into its head, disconnecting it and the pincers from the main unit. The pincers released themselves. Buttercup wiped away some blood carelessly, and she went over to the closest group of spiders, swinging her legs in a perfect bicycle-kick.

Another spider grabbed at both her legs and clung for dear life. Buttercup jumped up and twirled around, forcing the spider away with one mighty spin. A nearby spider grabbed at her middle, and two others swarmed up and grabbed her limbs. Buttercup thrashed around in the air, tugging herself away from the machines. She broke free for a split second, then a few more spiders dove in for the attack. Each spider seized one of her limbs, one had her torso, and one was wrapping itself around her neck.

"NO!" Buttercup choked.

Butch reeled around in the air, and spotted Buttercup trapped amongst six or seven different spiders. Butch gasped, and lurched over to her. He pummeled the spider at her throat and shot off countless eye beams, rapidly firing at the other ones. After a few painful moments, all the spiders released her, and Buttercup plunged to the ground below. Butch dove down, snatched her up, and sped up out of harm's way. Buttercup's face was almost purple, and she coughed, gasped for air. Butch held her up, one arm around her waist, the other holding her head straight.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm—" Buttercup wheezed. "—fine."

"Are you sure?"

Buttercup's eyes shot open and she pushed Butch away. She wiped some blood and sweat off her face and leered.

"Yes. Let's… let's finish these fuckers."

Butch nodded, and the two whooshed off to fight the last few spiders. Buttercup delivered one hard blow to all the giant spiders in her vicinity, while Butch knocked the last ten out with a powerful lightning bolt from his hands. Buttercup turned around and scanned the room.

"Is that it?" she yelled. Butch jumped up from a pile of obliterated spider and looked around the room, too. Besides for a few flitting legs, there didn't seem to be any more trouble.

"I'd say so."

_"Aren't you lucky…"_

Buttercup and Butch floated down to a clearing on the ground and collapsed, both entirely exhausted and beat. Butch lay on the ground huffing and puffing, and he looked over at Buttercup. She crawled over to the lake and scooped water up with her hands. She splashed her face again and again, pausing once or twice to drink from her palms. She stood up and wiped her face off with her arm.

"Nice… fighting…" Butch complimented through shaky breaths. "I think… I'm out… of shape, though…"

Buttercup glimpsed at him, her mouth hung slightly as she tried to catch her breath as well. She staggered over to Butch and held out her hand. He grabbed it and she helped him up.

"Thanks…" he said with a smile.

The two stood there for a second, just trying to breathe and relax. When they were finally able to function properly, Butch rolled his head around, cracking all the kinks in his neck. Buttercup combed her fingers through her hair, pulling out pieces of metal and rock. The two looked at the horrendous mess scattered about the place. Buttercup snorted, and sent off a single laser beam. She scanned it around the room, evaporating every piece of junk out of sight, bringing the room back to its original environment. Butch smiled again.

"Well, that was fun, right?"

Buttercup stared at him a moment… then she slapped him. He stepped back and held his cheek, fire burning beneath his skin.

"What was that for?!" he cried.

"Why did you help me?! I was doing just fine without you!" Buttercup groaned. Butch stared at her, totally shocked.

"What?"

"Why did you have to be all courageous and _save_ me from the spiders?" Buttercup demanded, her voice almost hysterical. "I was fine, Butch! I could've saved myself."

"…Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am! You don't need to act like a fucking hero…"

Butch finally had had enough. He stepped over and grabbed her, spinning her around on the spot. He brought her face close to his.

"_What – is – your – problem?!"_

Butch shoved her away. She swayed backward, slipping on a large piece of metal.

"I don't know what's going on," Butch started, his voice loud and livid. "But you have been nothing but a ridiculous, overemotional, raging bitch ever since this mission started. I know I'm no prize myself, but I've acted _phenomenally_ compared to your bullshit."

Buttercup stared at him, her eyes wide, and her jaw clenched. She stood there, her feet rooted to the spot.

"First you want to go back, then you want to keep going. Then you act like we're all buddy-buddy, then you attack me and act like you hate me. One minute, you beg to be left alone, and the next you're… you're swishing your hips and practically _flirting _with me! And then you gave me this look like you were… some… lost dog, or something, looking for a home. Now, you fucking ingrate, you're yelling at me for helping you out when you needed it the most! What the hell?"

Butch glared fiercely at her with his great big eyes, his arms animatedly waving with every accusation. Buttercup stood her ground, taking in all of his words.

"How about… when you're actually ready to, I don't know, _work_ with me, come find me, okay? In the mean time, I'm on my own."

Butch pushed her aside and stomped off. Buttercup watched him, not sure what do or say. He was right – she had been acting outrageously the whole time. She could argue that he acted the same way, but… he didn't. He always _reacted_ to whatever she did to him. She slammed him against the wall first, and he retaliated. She smashed a boulder on his head before he attacked her. Okay, he did say a few nasty things, but it was nothing compared to what she did to him. That sinking feeling, like the one way back when she broke his heart years ago, came flushing back through her veins. The guilt - the sickening, heart-squeezing guilt – made her nauseas. Her throat tightened, swallowing back the searing acid. _Why does he care anyway?_ Buttercup asked herself. _What does it matter how I treat him? He's shouldn't care. He _doesn't_ care. He never did…_

_Wait…_

Buttercup recalled that moment weeks ago, when she and Butch talked about how she was with people. She said that she wasn't nice to her enemies. He added, _"Or the people who fall in love with you."_ What did that have anything to do with _anything_? It seemed so out of the blue to bring it up… did that mean he was thinking about it? Did that mean… he was thinking about her? _Was_ he thinking about her? He wasn't saying..,

_Oh, Christ. _

"Butch!"

Buttercup didn't even wait for him to respond; she jumped up in the air, sped over to him, grabbed his face with both hands—

And kissed him. 

Butch kicked his leg back to stop himself from falling. His eyes were wide, frightened, and his arms were up in the air, ready to attack. He stood there utterly flabbergasted, as Buttercup kissed him so tenderly on the lips. Her body still floated in the air, one leg straight out, the other bent loosely. Butch wasn't sure if he should just take it or throw her off. Maybe she really was nuts. Then… he relaxed. He closed his eyes, and cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist.

After a few seconds, Buttercup broke away, and her feet gently landed on the ground. Her arms hung around Butch's neck, his clinging to her hips. They stared at each other, more shocked than ever. Buttercup blinked a few times, almost unsure if that just happened. Butch licked his lips, feeling the ghostly remnants of the kiss. Then he made a strange face… and grinned.

"That's it?" Butch asked, one eyebrow raised.

Buttercup blinked again. She narrowed her eyes, and a small smile played on her lips.

"What? That doesn't say 'thank you' enough?"

"Not. At. All."

Butch watched her, his expression mischievous. Buttercup snorted, and she kissed him again, harder. He kissed her right back, just as hard, just as passionate, holding her tight in his arms. It lasted a little longer than the first before Buttercup broke away again. She stared at him, her eyes bright but challenging, waiting for his judgment. Butch smirked at her.

"Oh, no. Still not good enough."

"Oh, really now?"

Buttercup grabbed his shoulders and she pushed him forward, ramming him against the wall. She kissed him again, harder, faster, longer than before. She moved away from his lips and trailed down his cheek, and along his jaw to his ear.

"Is this a good enough reason to slam you into a wall?" she whispered.

"Uh – yeah."

The kissed some more, no blaze hotter than the passion between them at that moment. Buttercup ran her fingers through his hair, as Butch slid his hands down her sides and to her skirt. They broke away for air, both totally breathless. Buttercup rested her forehead on his, and she closed her eyes. They breathed together, inhaling and exhaling as one. Buttercup smiled – she was at peace for the first time in weeks.

Butch rested one hand on her face and gently pulled her in for another go. They kissed again, sweetly. Buttercup's hand glided down his chest and lingered on his belt. She unbuckled it. Butch broke away and glared at her.

"This? Now?" he asked with a laugh. Buttercup chuckled and nodded.

"There's cameras…" Butch said, glancing up at the ceiling. Buttercup rolled her eyes. She grabbed both ends of his belt and roughly pulled his pelvis against hers.

"Let em' watch."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: This sequence is LONG. I was going to make everything here one chapter, but when I reached page 9, and realized there was a lot more to go, I just split it into two chapters. So bare with me as I finish the original chapter 22, and now, chapter 23.

There is more to come; I promise.

**Chapter 22**

Boomer and Bubbles, with the little squirrel on Bubbles' shoulder, zoomed through the forest at top speed. After several minutes, with branches slapping and scratching the duo's bodies, and their wide, focused eyes drying in the fast wind, the squirrel chattered in Bubbles' ear. She screeched to a halt, grabbing at a nearby tree to stop herself. Boomer dug his heels into the ground and slid a couple feet, digging a deep track into the dirt. The squirrel leapt off Bubbles' shoulders and landed swiftly on the ground. He scurried a few feet ahead and up a very tall pine tree. Bubbles and Boomer looked around them. The squirrel had led them to an area that was heavily shaded, very moist, and thickly surrounded by trees and growth. It was unusually quiet, and the two shivered a little from a nonexistent breeze. Bubbles bit her lip and watched the squirrel sniff and scuttle around.

"Where is it?" Boomer demanded, straining his eyes to see through the forest ahead. The squirrel twittered a bit and looked at Bubbles expectantly. Bubbles nodded and pointed.

"Right here."

"Where?" Boomer leapt forward – and smacked his face into what appeared to be a crack through the lush forestry. He cried out and grabbed his nose, tears welling in his eyes. Bubbles stifled a laugh and staggered over to him.

"No, it's right here. The facility. It's camouflaged, see?" Bubbles rested her hand on the spot Boomer hit himself. Boomer wiped some tears away, and still holding his nose, stepped closer and examined the spot. It was a fantastically painted wall, covered in vines and spliced parts of trees to make it appear – quite effectively – to be part of the scenery. Bubbles knocked on it, and the wall was so thick, the sound was trapped beneath the paint. Boomer wrinkled his nose, rubbed it a little, and snorted.

"Great. Now how do we get in?" he asked. Bubbles translated to the squirrel and it jumped off the tree and scampered a couple feet away. He stopped, glanced at Bubbles, and leapt between two trees that were not painted, thankfully. Bubbles and Boomer followed, tiptoeing on the hard dirt and peeking through the trees. They immediately saw two large men far ahead, covered in tigerstripe military garb, and lots of leafy netting, making them look like tall funny-looking bushes – bushes with guns. The squirrel climbed up one of the trees and hurried to Bubbles' ear. It cheeped something quietly.

"They're guarding the entrance," she whispered to Boomer. She turned to him, but her eyes looked up thoughtfully. "We're going to have to get into the facility somehow. If Fuzzy or even Princess is in there, they'll recognize us right away… unless…" She smiled and her eyes fell back on Boomer. Boomer's furrowed his eyebrows and he shook his head.

"No. No no no. Not happening."

"Seriously?" Bubbles remarked in disbelief. "Your most special power – turning into a squirrel – and you're not even willing to use it? What's the matter with you, Boomer? This is important!"

"Okay, fine, but what for?"

"Hmm…" Bubbles turned away. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and chewed on her nail, as she began to pace. Boomer watched her as she mumbled to herself, obviously working out a plan. She stopped, her eyes focused on a random spot… then she shook her head and continue walking. Boomer sighed, and his eyes moved side to side as he stared at her, as if watching a slow tennis match. The squirrel sat next to Boomer, his little head also moving as he watched Bubbles. He cheeped something. Bubbles stopped and smiled.

"That's a good plan!" she exclaimed. She stepped over to them. "Alright, we can take out the guards, and I can take one of their uniforms. I'll go through the facility disguised as a worker, while our friend here leads us to Fuzzy. You'll tag along with him as a squirrel, Boomer, and you and I can communicate secretly and no one will know."

"What?" Boomer laughed. "First of all, those guys are huge – the uniform will be too big."

"So?" Bubbles asked, both hands on her hips.

"You'll look stupid! And, you know, I doubt it's normal to have two little squirrels hanging out in an _animal testing facility_, let alone a worker squeaking away at them like an idiot."

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Bubbles demanded. Boomer shook his head quickly.

"No, of course not! Just your plan is a little faulty…"

"Well… I can say I caught you two," Bubbles explained. "I'll just hold you. And the squirrel will just sound like he's angry or something, and if anyone asks, I'll say I'm taking you and him to the lab. I can also speak very quietly, thank you very much, and even so, I don't have to talk to you guys if the squirrel's just going to be telling me where to go."

"Okay fine, but then what?" Boomer asked.

"We find Fuzzy or Princess. Or whoever is behind this. I guess we fight him and destroy the lab?" Bubbles suggested.

"Well, we should find out what exactly is going on in the first place," Boomer added. Bubbles nodded.

"You're right." She turned to the squirrel and asked him something. He replied, and Bubbles nodded again. "Okay, he'll take us the long way to the lab. While I'm listening to him, Boomer, try to pay attention to what's going on around us."

"I will," Boomer said hastily. "But… But what if you get caught?"

"You really had to ask that?" Bubbles asked with a grin. "We don't have superpowers for nothing…"

"You suggest we fight?"

"What else?"

Boomer should not have been nearly as shocked as he was by her answer. Bubbles gently picked up the squirrel and placed him back on her shoulder. She snuck back to the opening and peeked back through. Boomer ran his hand through his hair; it happened to be completely dry again.

"When should I transform?" he asked.

"Probably now, actually," Bubbles answered without looking back at him. Boomer stepped close to her and glimpsed at the guards. He frowned.

"What about the guards?"

"Them? I can take care of them," Bubbles huffed.

"Can you?"

Bubbles turned to him and eyed him. Her expression was completely incredulous, and Boomer suddenly felt hot around his cheeks.

"Okay. Sorry. I'll just… I'll just change now…"

Boomer stepped away and in after a quick turn, morphed into a squirrel. He wriggled his ears, straightened out his tail, and immediately got used to the form. He scurried back to Bubbles. He leapt into the air and landed on her backpack. She glanced at him, then at the real squirrel.

"_Ready_?" she asked in one shorts squeak. The squirrel glanced at Boomer and nodded.

"_Ready!_" Boomer and the squirrel simultaneously squeaked back.

Bubbles started intently through the trees and focused on one of the guard's gun. Her eyes reddened into a blaze and she released a powerful eye beam, obliterating the weapon. The guard jumped back, rustling the leaves attached to him.

"Hey! What the –"

Bubbles shot through the trees and whammed her body into the guard. Boomer and the squirrel latched their tiny claws onto her bag, clinging for dear life. The guard stood his ground, his body poised for combat, but Bubbles swung her leg and swiftly kicked him in the face. He groaned and staggered over. The other guard ripped his netting off and aimed his gun at Bubbles. She twisted around and he fired, the bullet splitting through the air towards her. The squirrel shrieked in fear, just before the round ricocheted off Bubbles' chest and into a nearby tree.

"Silly…" Bubbles giggled, as the guard's mouth hung aghast. Bubbles slammed her fist into the guard's cheek, and he spun around on the spot and collapsed to the ground. The other guard groaned again, seeing his comrade fall so easily. Bubbles glanced at him, then instantly leapt up and smashed her leg onto the back of his head. He made a deep gurgling noise, and dropped to the dirt, unconscious.

Bubbles smiled and looked at Boomer.

"_And you thought I couldn't beat him…_" she laughed. Boomer rolled his beady little eyes, and he and the squirrel jumped down. Bubbles removed her backpack.

"_I thought you were going to get hit!"_ The squirrel chattered at her, still scared.

"_I'm fine. That's nothing, really,"_ Bubbles reassured him.

She carefully removed the smaller guard's shirt and pants, and she put them on over her clothes. She took off her belt and retightened it through the enormous belt loops. She then grabbed the guard's helmet and placed it on her head, the heavy piece of work slipping over her eyes. Bubbles twisted her neck around, trying to make her head comfortable.

"It's so… heavy," she grunted. After a moment, she huffed and hoisted her bag over her shoulder. She sighed once more, then knelt down, her hands held out. Boomer and the squirrel each jumped into one, and Bubbles stood back up.

"Alright. We're going in now," Bubbles announced. Boomer crinked his head up to her, his little rodent face annoyed.

"_Don't crush my tail!" _he warned. Bubbles rolled her eyes, and after a deep breath, she entered the facility.

Walking into the lobby was like walking on a stage. Bright lights blazed on the guns of the heavily armed guards, on the polished linoleum floor, and on the reflective, stark white walls. A symphony of loud chatter, clanging wheeling carts, thumping desk drawers, and melodious beeping scored for the dozens of workers, all playing intricate roles of scientists, guards, and receptionists. The cameras – hundreds of cameras – lined the walls, and watched every person like an audience in the theater.

Unfortunately, Bubbles had a terrible case of stage fright. She stopped dead in her tracks, gazing stupidly at the cameras. Thankfully, the other workers were too busy to notice her, and passed right by. It took one short nibble on her finger by Boomer to bring Bubbles back to Earth.

"Oh! Sorry!" she apologized, keeping her voice low.

"_Get going!" _Boomer squeaked.

"Right… Where do I go?" she asked looking at the numerous doors around the room.

"_Over there. By the big guard,"_ The squirrel nudged its head towards a particularly burly guard stationed by an huge door with a sign that said "Lab." Bubbles rolled her eyes, and nodded. Shifting her weight strangely, not to appear too tiny in her tent-like clothes, Bubbles hurried to the door. She reached an arm out to open the door—

"Ow!" Bubbles cried, just as Boomer chattered angrily. The ape-like guard looked down at Bubbles with his teeny little eyes, his eyebrows low and questioning. He just whacked her hand away with his gun, whopping Boomer right on the head. He rubbed it vigorously with his paws.

"Uh, just, uh, taking these things to the lab…" Bubbles stammered.

"Who are you?" the guard rumbled.

"I'm, uh, Steve."

_"Steve?!" _Boomer shrieked.

"Well, I'm not _Steve,_" Bubbles corrected. "I'm filling in for him. He's, uh… he's sick. Yeah."

The guard glared at her, not remotely convinced. Bubbles pursed her lips, and bravely glared right back at the guard. Her head pointed straight up, the guard incredibly tall in comparison to her.

"Sir, I found these animals in the forest and I want to return them to laboratory. Will you let me in, _please?_" Bubbles stomped her foot as she pled. Boomer glanced back at her, and was mildly surprised by her expression. She actually managed to appear dangerous. Then, even more to his surprise, the guard pulled out a walkie-talkie, whispered something into it, and gestured her through the door. Bubbles smiled and gave a quick "thanks" before entering.

Bubbles strut through the hall, momentarily inspired by herself back there. She tried to hide this, though, as she passed stern workers, who gave her funny looks, and more irritable guards, who kept their vigilant eyes on her. The squirrel began chittering away, telling Bubbles where to go.

"_Last door all the way over there. The pink fuzzy man is there!" _

"Quiet, you!" Bubbles hushed him, feeling the piercing gazes of the guards nearby. She turned her head down and winked. She sped up, bee lining for the door, desperate to avoid the stares. She reached the door and pulled the handle—

"Hey!"

Bubbles stopped mid-step, and froze. Boomer and the squirrel twisted in her hands to see who called them. One of the guards lumbered over, his face holding the same somber expression as the guard before. Bubbles gulped and turned around. She grinned.

"Hi! Just throwing these guys in, y'know?" she said, losing all her previous composure.

"I believe the hold is right there," the guard said, pointing to a steel door with a small, barred window. It was several steps back and to the left. Bubbles made a face and chuckled.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Must've forgot…" she nodded, and stumbled over to the door. She gave the guard one last grin and pushed through the heavy door.

Bubbles slammed the door shut behind her. She glanced around the room, happy to see that she was alone. She turned around and peaked out the window. She frowned.

"You know, I'm getting really sick of these guys…"

"_Bubbles! Look!"_

Boomer tugged at Bubbles' fingers, and she glimpsed at him. He pointed ahead. Bubbles slowly turned around… and gasped.

The room was filled to the ceiling with hundreds of cages, each over-filled with a plethora of animals. Rabbits kicked at each other in several cramped cages. A dozen cats were dozing upon each other, fit firmly in cage that should only hold a few. Birds of all breeds squawked and hooted in one giant aviary, a few lying dead at the bottom in a mound of feces. In about ten tanks, snakes were woven about each other; frogs croaked and hopped upon one another; and tropical fish fed upon fallen friends, transparent skin clinging idly to ghastly corpses. In one cage, three squirrels, including two babies, slept soundly on pile of tattered newspapers.

Bubbles dropped Boomer and the other squirrel from her hands. She closed her eyes, and sank to the floor. Tears streamed down her face, both from the sheer sorrow of it all, and the vile stench emanating through the neglected menagerie. Boomer crept over to one cage containing a little of puppies, all sharing one large, rotting hunk of meat. His nose wrinkled, and he cast his head down. The squirrel scurried over to the squirrel confine, and made a soft purr from his throat. They imprisoned squirrels stirred, and the biggest one chirped and leapt over to him. Bubbles open her eyes, and glanced at him.

"_Family?"_ she asked. The squirrel friend looked over and nodded gravely.

"_This is ludicrous._" In a snap, Boomer transformed back to his human form. He shook his already tousled hair, and he rubbed at the newly formed egg near his temple. He looked over at Bubbles, who was curled up with her face hidden again, just like the one time above the trees a few days back.

"It's ludicrous," Boomer repeated. "Just… terrible."

"Yes," was all Bubbles could muster. She lifted her head, her eyes red and glistening, but shaded from the bulky helmet. She sniffled, and then tore the helmet off her head and tossed it aside. It crashed into a vacant desk, sending a bunch of birds squattering to the other side of the aviary. Bubbles stared at Boomer with a face so pained, so gloomy, that Boomer just wanted… to destroy whatever broke such a precious soul. He frowned to himself, thinking such a sappy thought, but he couldn't help it.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked her. Bubbles shrugged, and her eyes traveled around the room.

"They… they need help. They're hurt."

"Well, yeah," Boomer agreed, rolling his eyes. "So then what are you waiting for?"

"What do you wanna do?" Bubbles demanded. "What are we _supposed_ to do? Free them or something? Just so they can get caught and come here again? Or run around on the island, which isn't even their natural habitat? What are we supposed to do, Boomer?"

By this time, Bubbles was standing strong on both feet, in front of Boomer, and her voice shook the thin bars on the cages. Her face was fierce, and her eyes were hot enough to shoot flames… and if they weren't careful, she very well would. Boomer stared her down, using every bit of his pride to keep him from buckling down. When Bubbles was pissed – she was as frightening as her sister Buttercup on her rag.

"Free them," he replied. "We'll take some of them back to Townsville with us. Some of them can stay here. Hell, we can use them against all these assholes in here. We free them, Bubbles."

Bubbles' face was inches from Boomer's. She still looked furious, but she mulled the idea over in her head. The cats could go with them… maybe the rabbits… the snakes could stay, as well as the birds, and the puppies could go to a shelter, too… and Bubbles knew the perfect place for the squirrel and his little family…

Bubbles' cheeks rose. She grinned.

"Alright. What _are_ we waiting for?"

Bubbles turned around and blasted the aviary bars to smithereens. All the birds shot into the air in a rainbow of fluttering wings. The two then began blasted the locks at all the cages, freeing all the animals from their wiry cells. Bubbles ripped the doors off the puppies', the cats', the rabbits'. Boomer slammed his fist into the snakes' tanks, the slithering creatures falling to the floor like a tangled, moving yarn ball. It took only a few seconds before—

"_INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT."_

Bubbles and Boomer stopped and looked up to see a spinning red light sounding off an ear-splitting alarm. All the doors smashed open, and guards poured in from every entrance. The two stepped close to each other, back to back, poised to fight.

"Do you still have your disguise on?" Boomer asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Not for long." Bubbles chuckled.

Half of the guards jumped forward and began collecting the escaped animals, while the rest raised their guns and fired away. Bubbles tore off the uniform to reveal her own, then eyed Boomer excitedly. He snickered, and they leapt into the air and dashed at the sentry, fists and feet flying.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Bubbles swept up several guards in one blow, swiping their feet beneath them and sending them crashing to ground. She kicked, elbowed, socked, and whammed into some more, her powerful fists whomping into the tough flesh. In each hand, she snatched three guards up by the scruff of their necks, and smashed their heads together. She floated up to the ceiling, and surveyed the room. Animals clambered around, frantically avoiding the commotion. Bodies littered the floor already, men whimpering and crying. She glanced over at Boomer. Boomer lifted a cluster of guards and swung his arm down, bashing them to the floor.

"Boomer! The animals! We need to get them out of here!" Bubbles yelled. One guard smacked the barrel of his gun at the little of puppies, who were yapping and biting at the man's ankles. Boomer spun around, and groaned. He looked at the exits, and picked the last one he saw, the door on the far right. He blinked and blasted the door off its hinges.

"Come get me!" he shouted at the guards, and whizzed into the room beyond. Bubbles snatched up a busted cage and hurled it at a pack of guards.

"Come on!" she screamed, and shot off after Boomer.

Bubbles zipped into the next room and crashed mid-air into Boomer. He grunted and looked back at her. He grabbed her with one arm by her waist and pushed her in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Bubbles demanded. She looked away and down at the scene below. And then, she saw what made him stop.

On many long, metal tables were small laboratory stations. Each station had two or three scientists, sets of industrial and medical equipment, and a single monkey. At one station, one scientist was injecting a chimp with some liquid that made it shriek and squirm. At another station, two workers were making final touches on sewing a tale to a baboon's rear end. And at one other station, one worker pressed a small, blinking device into the back of a capuchin's head. Clearly, Boomer and Bubbles had stumbled into the testing laboratory of the facility.

Unfortunately, this observation lasted only a second before the escaped animals and the remaining guards stumbled in after them. The animals, in a sea of fur, feathers, skin, scales, stampeded through the lab, knocking over workers and wiping out tables and equipment. The scientists dropped everything they were doing, and panicked. Some screamed and rushed out of the room, others leapt on their chairs and tables, and a few even threw things at the animals. The guards shot off their guns, obviously ignorant of the bullet-proof bodies of the team, and bullets ricocheted off the walls. All of this caused such a colossal frenzy that it was no surprise when, from a room high above the lab surrounded by stairs and a railing, a door slammed open. A creature stepped out; a creature with a lab coat, tarnished boots, fuzzy pink fur, a large green nose, and a face so furious, flames should've been emitting from his unseen ears.

Boomer and Bubbles looked up.

"Fuzzy Lumpkins!" they gasped simultaneously.

"What in dawg-gone's name are _you_ doing on up in here?" Fuzzy shouted.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Boomer ordered.

Fuzzy twitched strangely, and his hand shot up and itched something on his head. He made a pained face, and then was normal. He showed his grimy yellow teeth, and snarled.

"What are you doing up in here! Git out! GI-EEEHT OUT!"

"What's wrong with him?" Bubbles hissed. Boomer shrugged.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. He looked down at the fuss below, then back at Bubbles. "You take care of that. I'll take care of Fuzzy."

"What about the animals?" Bubbles asked.

As if on cue, the little squirrel from earlier leapt up on Bubbles leg, chattering madly.

"_The door!" _it shrieked. "_The giant door over there! The animals can get out!"_

"Yes!" Bubbles exclaimed. "_Squirrel – can you talk to the other animals?"_

The squirrel nodded and chortled a reply. Bubbles turned to Boomer. "You take care of Fuzzy, Boomer. Squirrelly, I'll open that door and you try and get the animals out of here. I'll take care of everything else. Okay?"

The squirrel leapt off and starting chattering madly to the animals. Bubbles noticed some of them listening as they started heading over to the exit. She looked at Boomer, but he already flew off towards Fuzzy. Bubbles ignored the guards still trying to fight her, and she zoomed off to the door. She promptly broke the latch and lifted the metal door up and above her head. She looked out into the tropical scenery, the ocean waves softly rolling along the nearby beach, the foliage framing the doorway…. There, a few feet away, stood a massive ship tied up to a long, wooden port. Bubbles glanced around, wondering how they missed this before, but she quickly dismissed the worry and smiled. She turned back and spotted the squirrel darting around, shepherding the animals out the doorway.

_"Lead them to the ship!" _Bubbles commanded. The squirrel twittered "yes" and started guiding the animals toward the port. It would be easier for her and Boomer to take all the animals back to Townsville with the ship. The squirrel could lead the animals there, Bubbles could take care of the workers and the monkeys, Boomer was taking care of Fuzzy now, and soon they would demolish the facility for good. It was all working out! Bubbles headed back inside and went back to battling the employees.

Meanwhile, Boomer leapt up and landed in front of Fuzzy. Fuzzy stood, his feet planted wide apart, his shoulders up, and his hands curled into fists. He looked meaner than a guard dog, saliva practically dribbling down his snarling lips.

"GI-EHHHT – OUTTA HERE!"

Boomer laughed, and roundhouse-kicked him right in the stomach. He threw punches left and right, pounding poor Fuzzy to the ground. Fuzzy tried to scratch and bite him, but years of wrestling with his brothers taught Boomer a thing or two about fighting. Fuzzy was out cold within minutes. Boomer triumphantly picked up the limp body, and then… he noticed something blinking within Fuzzy's fur. He groaned and pulled apart the pink tufts of hair and found yet another device. The same device in the monkeys' heads was also on Fuzzy's.

"Bubbles!" Boomer called, looked over the balcony railing. Bubbles was zapping away bindings on the monkeys, while swatting away guards like flies. She glanced up at Boomer.

"What?"

"That device! On the monkeys? Its on Fuzzy, too!"

"Really?" Bubbles kicked at a guard that grabbed at her leg as she release a screeching chimp from its cuff. She glanced up again, looking exasperated. "Find out what it is!"

"How?" Boomer asked. "Oh! Behind you!" Bubbles turned around and elbowed another guard in his jaw.

"Thanks!" she yelled. She looked up at Boomer once more. "The room behind you, maybe?"

"Oh!" Boomer wheeled around, and faced the doorway to the room Fuzzy was in moments ago. He looked back and yelled, "I'll check it out. Keep fighting."

"Well, duh," Bubbles muttered to herself, yanking at a chain connected to a surprisingly tranquil gorilla.

Boomer headed into the room, dragging Fuzzy's body in with him. He shut the door behind him, and looked around. He seemed to be in some type of watch guardroom, with an enormous control panel set around a single office chair. The room was lit by only a dozen screens, all with different pictures of an island. Boomer sat in the chairs. He narrowed his eyes, and inspected the screens further. He noticed the cameras moving every now and then, though one was completely black. One camera, though, especially caught his attention: it showed a lab room, with several bloodied guards flying through the air, and a young blonde woman zooming about in a baby blue blaze.

"Bubbles?" Boomer gasped.

Bubbles stopped in mid-air. She looked around and spotted the camera, her eyes focusing straight at Boomer through the screen. She floated over, and knelt down. She brought her close. She smiled.

"It's okay, honey, I'm going to help you," she whispered. She reached at something off-screen, and the camera followed her. It moved down, and filmed Bubbles ripping a chain wrapped around a monkey's leg. She looked back up at the camera.

"Hope that's better," she said. She pointed away. "Now go! Follow the others!" She reached around, and the camera suddenly jumped off and fell amongst a parade of animals.

It dawned on Boomer.

"Cameras. The devices on the monkeys' head are cameras…" Boomer ran his fingers across the hundreds of buttons on the control panel. He wondered what else these devices did. If they were hooked to the monkeys' vision, were they attached to more? Boomer examined button after button, testing one every now and then. He soon fell upon a grid of about ten buttons, including four directional buttons.

"Hmm…"

Boomer pressed the up button, and suddenly, he heard a scraping from behind him. He turned around. He jumped. Fuzzy was standing up, his eyes closed, his arms drooping at his sides. Boomer stared at him, wondering if he was going to do anything, but… he didn't. Fuzzy stood eerily still, not one trace of any intention to move. Boomer slowly rolled around back to the screens, preferring to ignore the zombie-like enemy. He eagerly pressed another button – the left button – and he heard more scraping behind him. Boomer wheeled around again and saw Fuzzy facing a different direction, his eyes still closed, his arms still droopy. Boomer stared at him once more, and then quickly realized that Fuzzy was facing his _left_. Boomer smiled curiously, and then, not taking his eyes away, pressed the right button. Sure enough, Fuzzy turned around, almost robotically, and faced his right. Boomer sat back, feeling strangely triumphant. He said two words to himself:

"Mind control."

He leapt up and rushed out of the room, ready to tell Bubbles all about his discovery. He bound through the door and leaned over the railing. Bubbles took out the last guard, kneeing him in the groin, and tossing him aside on the floor. She looked up at him and breathed heavily, exhausted.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Mind control!" Boomer announced. "They're mind control devices."

"Mind control?" Bubbles gasped.

"Yeah! And Fuzzy's hooked up, too. Which is weird, because I think _he_ was the one doing the controlling…"

"Well destroy it!" Bubbles ordered. "We can't stick around here anymore. The animals are outside, I'm tired, and we need to destroy the rest of this place anyway." She jumped in the air and flew up to Boomer, landing gently on the feet next to him. He nodded and pulled her into the room with him. Bubbles stopped as soon as she saw Fuzzy, standing idly near the door.

"I thought you—"

"Just watch," Boomer said, assuring her. He demonstrated the controls, making Fuzzy turn around in a circle. He showed her the screens, the two of them noticed that all the cameras were facing different angles of the same area: the port.

"Whoa…" Bubbles said in awe. She looked at Boomer. "So what do we do now?"

"All the animals are outside?" Boomer asked.

"Yes."

"You took care of all the guards?"

"Yes."

"So, we torch the place," Boomer laughed. Bubbles raised her eyebrows.

"Are you serious?"

"You have another plan?" Boomer asked, smiling grimly. Bubbles opened her mouth… then closed it sadly.

"How?" she asked, sounding defeated. Boomer scratched his head, looking off in thought. After a moment, he snapped his fingers.

"All those guns… if we throw them in a pile and blast 'em, they'll explode. It's faster than us just using our laser vision to slowly scan the place and burn it. It'd take too much time, and we need all the time we can afford."

"What about the island? The other animals?" Bubbles voice was rising, sounding more incredulous with each word. Boomer sighed.

"Again – do you have any other plan?" he asked. Bubbles closed her eyes tight, holding back salty tears.

"No."

"Okay," Boomer said. "Well, I'll collect the guns. You take Fuzzy to the ship, and get all the animals on there. Move the ship away from the island, so we don't damage it or anything. Sound good?"

"As good as we're gonna get, I suppose," she said quietly. She stepped over to Fuzzy, hooked her arms under his shoulders, and lifted him off the ground. She drifted out of the room. Boomer's heart sank, realizing just how careless he was acting. They were about to blow up the island where they had spent the past month. Unless the fire stopped at the building's walls, the fire would spread to the forest, to the trees, to whatever animals and life forms inhabiting the area. And this had to be breaking Bubbles's heart, which somehow pained Boomer more than he felt it should. It hurt him, too, of course, but it had to be done… and fast. How much time _did_ they have left anyway?

Boomer decided not to think about that, though, and instead distracted himself searching for any combustive material in the room. He opened cabinets and drawers, finding books, boxes, chemicals, ammunition, and even a small toolkit. _Hmm… I needed this before,_ he thought. He remembered Bubbles plea to speak to her sisters; perhaps this toolkit could help him find a way to help her. It was the least he could do. He stuffed the kit in his pocket, seized all the combustive material he found, and headed out of the room.

He dropped everything in the middle of the room, and he collected all the guns he could find laying around. He threw them in the pile, and he glanced around the room to make sure it was safe. Boomer whizzed over to the door. He peeked out, and saw the giant tankard some distance away from the port. He could see the tiny outline of Bubbles, pushing the ship far away from the island. Boomer grinned to himself, thinking it was silly that Bubbles didn't just _steer_ the boat away… but he shook the thought away, and turned back to his rueful task.

Boomer stared at the pile of weapons. He floated up, and drifted out the door, not taking his eyes off the pile. He drifted back until he was a considerable distance away, but still focused on the guns. Then, he blinked.

_BOOOOOOM._

In one grand explosion, the testing facility went up in flames. The roof blew off in a tremendous cloud of thick, black smoke, and the trees around were sprinkled with sand and debris. Boomer watched as the fire traveled, leaves being engulfed in seconds, and other rooms blasting in smaller fireballs. The smoke floated around him, and he coughed, the burning toxins closing his throat. Eyes watering, he turned around and flew off to the ship. Bubbles was now standing on the deck, her hands clutched tight around the hand railing. Boomer landed next to her, gasping in the fresh sea air. He leaned back and the two gaped back at the island.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Bubbles collapsed on the deck and placed her hands on her face as Boomer sank down next to her. He took a deep breath, and looked back at the blazing island, a cloud of dark smoke billowing over the trees, flames dancing around the demolished facility. He frowned and turned to Bubbles.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I don't… I don't know what else we could've done."

Bubbles shook her head and sat up. She looked at him sadly.

"It's fine. It had to be done, and we saved all the animals we could," she said simply. She wrapped her arms around her legs and glanced behind her. Several animals sat around, two cats grooming themselves, the litter of puppies play-fighting each other, the snakes slithering into cracks in the ship's walls. Bubbles smiled weakly. Boomer took this as encouragement, at least. He set his hand on the floor. He felt something furry, and he looked down. A little monkey was scratching at some grime, barely noticing Boomer's touch.

Boomer gently picked him up. The monkey hooted quietly and wrapped his tiny arms around Boomer's fingers. Boomer grimaced and turned the creature over in his hand. A tiny device, the same as the one in his pocket, clung to the monkey's head. Bubbles looked over and narrowed her eyes. Boomer sighed, and grabbed at the device.

"What are you doing?" Bubbles asked quickly.

"Taking it out," Boomer replied.

"Why? What if you hurt him?" her voice rose a little with panic.

"Because it needs to come out. It's not supposed to be here." Before Bubbles could retort, Boomer plucked the machine off the monkey. The monkey squealed, then began whimpering quietly. A speck of blood dropped from its head, and Boomer pressed his hand against the wound. He scratched its ear with his thumb. Soon, the monkey became silent, and his little eyelids began to droop. He snuggled up in Boomer's hand and fell asleep.

"He's fine," Boomer said softly. He beamed at Bubbles. She sighed with relief.

"Well, we should do that for all of them then," she said happily. She scooted over and kindly beckoned a nearby chimp. Boomer placed the little monkey on the deck, repositioned himself, and then felt a heaviness in his right pocket. He suddenly remembered – the tool kit. His eyebrows flickered.

"Hey, um, I'm going to go take care of the other animals on the ship," he told Bubbles. "Maybe separate the snakes and stuff or… something. I don't know. You can take these nasty things off of the chimps."

Bubbles nodded and brought the chimp into her arms. She scratched his head nicely… then tugged the device out of the chimp's head. It yowled, and Bubbles pet him again, trying to calm him. She ruffled the monkey's fur for a few seconds, and its breathing began to slow down.

Boomer opened the hatch that led below deck. He nudged all the animals (besides the monkeys) inside, and afterwards, he disappeared with them. Meanwhile, Bubbles started her task of helping all the primates. She lured each one over, sweetly clicking her tongue, and then helped it relax with a nice stroke on its back. Next, she took off the machine in one swift move, which proved painful for each creature. She immediately stopped any blood leaking from its head, while trying to calm the monkey again with soft caresses. It took more effort for some of the larger ones, but after an hour or so, she managed to remove all the devices, making a pile of small machines next to her.

Bubbles looked around, double-checking to make sure she was finished. She didn't see any other monkeys with machines, so she stood up and headed over to the railing. Boomer never showed back up, but she didn't mind. The island was far-gone, but in the distance, she could see the dark haze hanging over the ocean. She thought about all the other animals that most likely perished, along with all the beautiful plants and trees. The island, once full a pure, tropical paradise, was destroyed. It was a shame that it had to go…. But it was true: they had no other choice. It would be a waste of time to hang around and wait for the fire to wipe out only the laboratory. Bubbles then realized something… it was what… April 8th? The means… there were only four days until her birthday. It didn't matter. There was so little time left; what were she and Boomer going to do now? They were headed back to Townsville, they were going to drop the animals off… then what? And what about her sisters? Perhaps she should contact the Professor again. Things might be situated there now, so maybe it was safe to call.

"Bubbles?"

Bubbles turned around. Boomer leapt up from below the deck, the hatch noisily dropping closed after him. He was holding his communication cuff open, and he was holding a handful of tools in his hand. Bubbles eyed him.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Boomer shook his head, and hid the tools in his pocket.

"I wanted to show you something," he said. He leaned on the railing next to her.

"Did you know there's only four days left?" Bubbles asked him. He inhaled sharply.

"Yes," he answered, as "_No!_" screamed in his head. He pushed away any further thoughts. "But, never mind, I wanted to show you something."

"What?"

"Well," Boomer started, showing her the computer screen on his cuff. "At the facility I stole a tool kit. And, well, I wanted to fiddle around with this communication thing, and I discovered something. There are seven networks connected to our cuffs; mine is here—" Boomer pointed to a short series of number, located amongst a list of seven series. "—The one at the top is a main network, and it's the one we're always connected to, so I'm assuming that's home base – you know, the Professor and Mojo. My network says 'B20001,' so I assume that yours is 'B20000.' Here, let's try."

Boomer clicked 'B20000', and hit the call button. Right away, Bubbles' own wrist cuff began to vibrate. She jumped and instinctively opened it. In the screen, she saw Boomer's face, smiling up at her. She turned to the real Boomer.

"What… what did you…"

"I found a way to contact the other networks. That means—"

"I can call my sisters!" Bubbles interrupted breathlessly. Boomer laughed.

"Well, yeah, essentially," he mumbled bashfully. Bubbles made a high-pitch noise and embraced him. He winced violently, very surprised by this reaction, and awkwardly pat her on the back. She let go of him shortly and grinned.

"How do I do it? How do I call them?" Bubbles asked excitedly, shutting the lid on her cuff and peering at Boomer's

"Well, I can go to "G30000,' which I can only guess is Buttercup," Boomer said, clicking down to that series of numbers.

"Yes! Do it! Call her!" Bubbles ordered, her voice quivering with anticipation. Boomer smiled weakly and shrugged. He hit the call button…

***

"You ripped my skirt," Buttercup sighed, holding up the two, sad pieces of what was once her short black skirt. Butch lay back on the ground, topless, his hair tousled and straggling around his face. His eyes rolled over to her; he smiled.

"It was in the way," he said simply. Buttercup smirked and tossed the clothes aside. She sat next to him, wearing nothing but a bra and panties, the rest of her clothes scattered about around the two. Buttercup grabbed her bag, and pulled out a pair of dark black shorts.

"You're just lucky I brought shorts," she said, her voice slightly teasing. Butch made a disappointed noise.

"Getting dressed? So soon?"

"Yeah!" Buttercup replied. "We gotta get going. I can't fight crime in my underwear!"

"Why not?" Butch demanded, his voice slightly lilting. "I think it would be interesting."

"And why should I care what you think?" Buttercup asked, one eyebrow raised. She began to stand up, but Butch reached up and grabbed her side. He pulled her next to him, and he pressed his lips against hers. They kissed, very sweet. Buttercup broke away and chuckled.

"We _really_ should get going," she said. Butch shook his head and pulled her on top of him.

"Hey!" she laughed, not bothering to struggle against him. She straddled him, his arms wrapped around her waist, her arms pressed against his chest. They kissed again, longer, sweeter than before. Buttercup broke away again and looked at him, her face still close.

"D'you have another cigarette?" she asked. Butch rolled his eyes.

"One."

"Awesome." Buttercup leapt off him and dove for his bag. She pulled out his carton of cigarettes and took out the last one. She turned to him, and placed the cigarette in her mouth. Butch huffed.

"Excuse me? That's my last one," he said. Buttercup slid over, snatching her belt that lay carelessly nearby. She pulled out her lighter, lit the cigarette, and took one long drag on it.

"You think _Sedusa_ saw everything?" Buttercup asked loudly, glancing up at the ceiling. She offered the cigarette to Butch.

"I hope she did," Butch said, popping the cigarette between his lips. Buttercup exhaled, smoke billowing out of her lips, and laid down on her side and placed her head on his chest. She breathed; calm, relaxed. She watched Butch take a few puffs. She smirked and rolled on her back.

"Ow!" she cried. Butch's face shot to her, his eyes widening.

"What?"

Buttercup sat up gingerly and rubbed her back.

"Look -- do I have a bruise?" she asked. Butch stared at her back… and smiled.

"Oh, shit, I am _so_ sorry," he whispered, his voice shaking a little as he held back laughter. Buttercup made a face, and slowly turned her head to him.

"You asshole," she hissed. Butch burst into laughter, just as Buttercup whammed him hard in the side.

"Watch it!" Butch cried, still laughing away. Buttercup narrowed her eyes. She hopped up and over, straddling him again, grabbed his shoulders, and slammed him into the ground. He dropped the cigarette, and his eyes squeezed together tight.

"Oww," he groaned, though he kept laughing. Buttercup moved her face close to his, her bangs dangling above his forehead.

"I'll give you bruises so bad, you'll have to go to the fucking icecaps to feel better again," she threatened, a playful tone in her voice. Butch smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"I dare you."

Buttercup took that cue, and pressed her lips hard against his. She moved away, and trailed down his chin, his neck, his collarbone—

"Do you hear that?" Butch interrupted. Buttercup stopped and glared at him.

"Hear what?" she asked bitterly. Butch sat up, and Buttercup moved backwards, watching his face. He looked over at her wrist cuff that lay several feet away for them.

"Someone's calling you," Butch said, pointing over at it. Buttercup groaned. She knelt up and snatched it off the ground. Surely enough, it was vibrating away. Suddenly, Buttercup gasped.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. She tossed it at Butch, who caught it after a quick fumble. He touched the lid.

"Hold on!" Buttercup stopped him. She zoomed over to her shirt, and immediately slipped it on. She bounded back over to him. "What would the Professor think if he saw me without my shirt?!"

"I'm sure he'd be proud," Butch commented coyly. Buttercup grimaced and yanked the cuff out of his hands. She flipped open the lid.

"Yes, Professor? Mojo?"

"Buttercup?!"

Buttercup's jaw dropped. Butch leaned forward and stared at the screen. He and Buttercup exchanged a surprised glance, and looked back at the screen.

"Bubbles?!"

"Buttercup! I can't believe it's you!" Bubbles cried, tears clearly streaming down her face. Boomer peeked into the screen. He smiled.

"Butch!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, man! Long time, no see," Butch waved. Buttercup's breathing quickened, excitement bubbling through her body. She had never been happier to see her sister in all her life.

"Bubbles, how did you—"

"Boomer, I guess, hacked into the system or something. It doesn't matter, I can't believe I'm talking to you!" Bubbles squealed. "How are you?"

"I-I'm fine," Buttercup stammered.

"Good," Butch replied. "You?"

"We're… we're alive," Bubbles chuckled. The four laughed, Bubbles and Boomer's voices a little staticy.

"How've you been?" Buttercup asked. "How's the island? The ocean? God, you're so _tan_."

"Am I?" Bubbles giggled, glancing down at her skin. "Well, you're so… heh, not?"

"Was I ever?" Buttercup said, rolling her eyes.

"We've been in a cave for however many days," Butch added.

"True," Bubbles said with a nod. "Twenty-six days, to be exact."

Butch and Buttercup glanced at each other again, more surprised. They both lost track of time, literally. Buttercup frowned and brought the cuff closer to her.

"What's been going on?" she questioned. "Tell us everything."

"You first," Bubbles said. Buttercup sighed, and she and Butch, together, told Bubbles and Boomer all about their adventure so far. They explained the spikes, the cameras, the first meeting with Sedusa, the fight later with her. The two went on into an enthusiastic retelling of the mechanical spider battle, Buttercup practically reenacting the fighting, Butch interjecting occasionally with sound effects and his own action.

"Then we blasted the last few fuckers away, and then we just collapsed, all bruised and bloody and shit."

"Is that what happened to your shirt?" Boomer asked, a small smile playing on his face. Butch's face brightened, then lowered, just as Buttercup slipped him an menacing glare.

"I, uh, lost it. Yeah," he said, then looked away shyly. Buttercup elbowed him off-camera, and he looked back at the screen. The two grinned wildly. Bubbles and Boomer, on the other side, glanced at each other curiously, but dismissed it.

"What about you?" Buttercup asked, changing the subject. Bubbles and Boomer retold their own tale, talking about the endless days of searching, their clean up of the pond, the attack of the little monkey, the mind-control devices, Fuzzy Lumpkins, the saving of the animals, and the destroying of the testing facility.

"Wait, Fuzzy was being controlled?" Butch asked.

"Yeah," Boomer replied. He then explained everything behind the mind-control devices, and he mentioned the Morbucks Machinery.

"You think that she's involved, too?" Boomer questioned.

"I imagine," Buttercup huffed. "Sedusa. Fuzzy. Princess. Him. Why not?"

"Actually," Butch began thoughtfully. "_Are_ those spiders Princess's?"

"I don't remember," Buttercup replied honestly.

"They might be," Bubbles said. "I wouldn't be surprised. It might be all connected."

"Maybe…" Buttercup's voice drifted off, and she looked away, deep in thought. Bubbles, on the other line, sighed loudly.

"I miss you, Buttercup," she said. Buttercup closed her eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I miss you, too, Bubbles," she admitted. She looked back at the screen. Boomer glanced away.

"Hey, Butch, I guess I miss you, too," he said, looking everywhere but the screen. Butch sniggered and rested his head on Buttercup's shoulder. She was too deep in thought to bother pushing him away. Boomer narrowed his eyes, mildly surprised by the – affectionate? – gesture. _Hmm… _Boomer thought to himself. _Butch was missing his shirt, and now he's resting his head on Buttercup's shoulder… that's weird… there's nothing more going on than me or Bubbles could see, is there?_

"Gay," Butch said. "…I miss you, too."

The four stared off, each savoring the moment, in each of their own ways. After what seemed like an eternity, Bubbles finally broke the silence.

"I'm going to call Blossom," Bubbles announced finally. Buttercup's ears perked up.

"Really?" She was strangely even happier to hear that. "Tell her everything. Tell her… tell her I miss her."

Bubbles grinned. "Of course, I will."

"You will contact back?" Butch asked sternly, lifting his head up. Boomer nodded.

"I'll make sure to as soon as we can," he said.

"Where are you going now?" Buttercup questioned.

"Well, we need to get these animals back to Townsville. Then after that… I don't know. If there's any news, we'll contact you again." Bubbles glimpsed at Boomer expectantly.

"We probably will anyway," Boomer said. "And you guys?"

"Keep exploring, I guess," Butch said, pursing his lips. "We really need to get out of here soon."

"Yeah…" Boomer turned to Bubbles. She shrugged.

"Well, I'll let you go then," she said. Buttercup nodded, closing her eyes again.

"We'll talk you later," Bubbles assured. "Bye, Buttercup."

"Bye, Bubbles. Boomer."

Boomer nodded respectfully. "Bye, guys. Good luck."

Butch held his hand up and waved. And with that, the screen went black.

Buttercup dropped the wrist cuff. She sighed miserably, as Butch wrapped his arms around her. He rested his face against her neck and kissed her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. Buttercup didn't reply. She gently pushed his arms away and stood up. She collected all her things and changed back into her uniform, slipping on her shorts in place of her skirt. Butch but his own stuff on, and he watched Buttercup hoist her bag over her shoulder. The silence bothered Butch, but he waited patiently for Buttercup to speak first. She finally turned around and faced him. Butch smiled.

"I'm fine," she said. "But… we need to get out of here."

"I know," Butch agreed. Buttercup stepped away, heading off into the cave passage. Butch grabbed her arm and pulled her over.

"What?" she moaned, keeping her eyes down. Butch lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"We'll keep going for another day or so. If we don't find anything else by then, we'll leave."

"How?" Buttercup asked irritably. Butch looked up to the ceiling.

"We'll go up," he answered. He looked back at Buttercup. "Deal?"

Buttercup looked away, and closed her eyes tight. After a moment, she opened them again.

"Okay."

Butch smiled. He wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her. He pulled away. Buttercup smiled to herself, and she looked back up at him.

"Let's go."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

The strong, bitter smell floated through the room, as Blossom helped herself to hot cup of coffee. She stirred in a teaspoon of sugar and little bit of delicious cream. She poured another cup for Brick, who was fast asleep at the table, his arms folded beneath his head. She placed his cup on the table and pushed it next to him. He snored loudly and awoke.

"Coffee?" Blossom offered, taking a seat. Brick nodded and eagerly drank from his cup. Blossom took a sip from her own, then placed it down on a makeshift napkin coaster.

"So, go over the plans one more time?" Blossom asked. She grabbed a piece of paper covered in scribbles and hasty writing. On the paper were two lists, one titled "Blossom" and the other titled "Brick." The two had worked out several scenarios of what was to happen in three days time when Princess put her dastardly plan into effect, and each had several counter-plans, all of which were Okayed by Don Guerelli during a short meeting yesterday. They narrowed down all the scenarios to the most likely contender, and they worked out one big counter-plan that they needed to have memorized as soon as possible.

"Okay," Blossom started, covering the plan with her hand, and looking straight at Brick. "I will be hiding in the Loop near the Sears tower, since it is, well, _the Sears Tower_, and it's the business district after all, so I can protect it."

"I'll be at 900 North Michigan," Brick said sleepily, stifling a yawn. "_The_ biggest shopping area, and another likely target for everything."

"If I see anything, I will notify you with my cell phone that Don Guerelli so kindly gave me," Blossom said, tapping at the very luxurious phone next to her on the table. Guerelli bought one for her and one for Brick, when he found out that they had no way of communicating with each other.

"Same here," Brick said, taking another gulp of coffee. Blossom rolled her eyes.

"_Say_ it, Brick. You'll remember it better," she scolded.

"Fine," Brick sighed. He downed the rest of his coffee, and slammed the cup on the table. He frowned. "If I see anything, I will notify _you_ with my cell phone that Don Guerelli _also_ so graciously gave me."

"Please don't mock me," Blossom groaned, trying desperately not to fight with Brick again. It had been a rough few days since the meeting, with the two of them very stressed and thus very irritable. They had a lot to do and very little time to accomplish their duties. Blossom wanted to keep things stable between her and Brick, but the two argued day and night as they brainstormed their strategy. Brick was very worried about the time issue, not believing they would be prepared, but Blossom scoffed at the idea. She was only mildly concerned about the time between then and the encounter with Princess – she was fully confident that they would plan well and succeed. Her confidence helped her more than anything, and she hoped it did something for Brick.

What Blossom was not at all concerned with was the 30th day of their mission looming so close. In fact, she was looking _forward_ to it, because she doubted anything would happen. She had been thinking more about that lately, since they were now on Day 24. She never did talk to the Professor or Mojo again, mostly because she didn't want to worry about them more than she already was. Anything that would distract her from preparing for the battle did not sound good, and contacting them would be a stupid thing indeed. Actually, anything that would distract her emotionally was _bad_. Her thoughts on the Chemical X situation never really did go away, though. It was one of those things like a specific word you can't remember – it eats away at you, and you can't properly settle down until you figure out what it is. She tried to find every logical reason for the theory to make sense, but nothing did. Ever. She was fully confident nothing would happen, but she never mentioned it out loud again. Why bother Brick any more than he was? And again, she didn't want to speak to the Professor or Mojo. Then again, her assurance was strongly battling some small sense of apprehension. The situation was serious enough to trouble the Professor, and if it troubled him, it troubled Blossom, too. There was more to it that Blossom did not know, and she knew she wasn't going to find out any time soon. Might as well do with what you have, right?

Brick rubbed his temples, trying to ease the budding headache in his brain. Blossom took another small sip from her mug.

"Can we just relax?" Brick pleaded. "I'm exhausted. We've been thinking all day, and my brain hurts."

"I know," Blossom said. "But we need to be prepared. You're the one worried about everything."

"Well, yeah, and now I'm worried I'm going to be too tired to do anything," Brick retorted, folding his arms across his chest. Blossom leaned her head on her forefinger, again trying to hold back her anger.

"Just one more time, okay?" Blossom urged. She gestured to her cup. "That's why I made coffee."

"I'm just… I'm too tired," Brick said, pushing his chair out and standing up. He ignored Blossom's glares and hopped on the couch. Blossom rolled her eyes and stared out the window, looking at the same grubby red bricks in the alley, at the same ancient pile of trash against the wall, and the same shadows cast by the moonlight. She sighed and looked back at Brick.

"Just sleep, then, okay?" Blossom grumbled, as she stood and collected the dirty mugs. She tossed them in the sink and headed over to the bed. Brick glanced at her, not bothering to reply to her. He probably was being touchier than intended, but he was, honestly, simply frustrated with the situation. For someone with such an enormous ego, he was more self-conscious than he would ever show. He was very pessimistic, and didn't believe they would succeed. They were only two people – two people with super powers, yes – but compared to hundreds of powerfully armed men, and one of the most dangerous women he's ever met, he and Blossom had one tough battle ahead of them. It didn't help that Brick felt like he was also battling an even more powerful enemy: time. The battle was three days away, and the 30th day of the mission was in six. Everything was getting closer and closer, and Brick was not doing well under the pressure. All of this, unfortunately, was taken out on Blossom, but she was miraculously handling it quite well. Brick was incredibly grateful that she kept her cool, because as anxious as he was, he was secretly assured a little by her confidence. He tried to be nice to demonstrate his gratitude, but his temper would get the better him, and at this moment, this was exactly the problem. Tomorrow, he'd try to be more polite. Right now, he might as well sleep.

"Alright, well I'm going to think some more, then maybe sleep," Blossom announced. She removed her belt and placed it on the side table. She leaned back on the bed, curling up in the corner as usual.

Then… her wrist began to vibrate. She shot up and held her wrist in front of her. It was her wristcuff – someone was calling.

"Brick!" she called. "Someone's calling me."

"What?" Brick rolled off the couch and staggered over. Her rubbed his eyes and peered over her shoulder. Blossom glanced at him. She slipped open the lid.

"Professor?"

"Guess again."

Blossom gasped. Brick sank down in the bed next to her, as the two stared at Bubbles and Boomer, smiling up at him from the little computer screen.

"Bubbles? Boomer? What?" Blossom stuttered. She laughed nervously, placing a hand over her mouth. She bit her knuckles, biting back a sob. Bubbles giggled, her voice bubbling through the speaker. Brick rubber his eyes again, trying to believe what he was seeing.

"Hi, Blossom," Bubbles said. "It's nice to see you."

"It's great to see you, too!" Blossom choked. She clicked the cuff off her wrist and held it so the Brick and Blossom could see it better.

"Whoa, Boomer," Brick chuckled. "You _look_ different…"

"Do I?" Boomer asked, looking down at himself. His skin did look a little darker, but he wasn't sure if it was just him or the smoke clinging to his skin.

"How are you?" Bubbles asked, her sweet smile never falling from her face.

"I'm… I'm alright," Blossom replied.

"I'm not," Brick snapped. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Why not?" Boomer asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Tell us how you two are first," Blossom said, hoping maybe the subject would change.

"I'm pretty good, actually," Bubbles said, beaming at Boomer. Boomer felt himself start to blush, and he reached his hand up to hide his face. He immediately thought this would be stupid, so he ran his fingers through his hair and hoped he would just stop turning red.

"I'm tired, myself," he answered. "It's… it's been a long day."

"What happened?" Blossom questioned.

"No, you first," Bubbles said. "We have a lot more to tell you."

Blossom did most of the talking, but she and Brick told about the party, meeting Princess, the poisoning, the code, the mafia, and the meetings with the Don. They explained Princess' plan, what they knew and what they inferred, and all about their own plans to defeat her. Bubbles and Boomer listened intently, very intrigued by their story.

"Now you," Blossom said, hungry to know everything about their adventure. Bubbles and Boomer repeated their story to them; it was easier and much faster the second time around. When they finished, Bubbles jumped up, and smiled even wider.

"We talked to Butch and Buttercup!" she exclaimed. Blossom grinned, rather excited to hear Buttercup's name.

"What happened with them?" Brick asked, also really interested in their tale. Bubbles and Boomer told them all about the other team, including the spiders, Sedusa, and the cameras.

"They look different, too," Boomer added. "They're all pale and grungy-looking."

"Did you see Butch but his head on Buttercup's shoulder?" Bubbles asked suddenly, looking curiously at Boomer.

"What?" Brick spat. Boomer shuffled uncomfortably on the screen.

"Yeah, I did see that," he admitted. He didn't think Bubbles caught it, too. Bubbles laughed to herself and looked back Blossom and Brick.

"Butch also lost his shirt," Bubbles said, almost with the same tone as a gossiping schoolgirl.

"What are you implying?" Brick demanded. He didn't like what he thought she was implying; his brother would _not_… would he? No way.

"I don't know," Bubbles lied, looking off to the side coyly. "They were awfully close."

"Probably just trying to look at the camera together," Brick said, hoping his words were the truth. "I highly doubt there's anything more to it."

"Me, too," Boomer asked, definitely not wanting to be against Brick on this one. Butch and Buttercup just sounded so unlikely, and he wasn't sure he'd feel if it was true. He knew that Brick would be furious, because honestly? A Powerpuff Girl and a Rowdyruff Boy? That just wasn't right. They were enemies, and that was it. Yes, they were in on the mission together, but they were made to be enemies, and everything was done, they would go back to that. Boomer suddenly didn't like that thought… He genuinely liked Bubbles. He wouldn't mind being friends with her from now on. They kind of were, anyways. And if Butch and Buttercup were an item, that only left Brick and Blossom. How was their relationship going? We're they getting along? From the looks of it, yes, but it wasn't anything more than that. Boomer suddenly stopped, feeling the analyzing things any further was just too much at the moment.

"So, Morbucks Machinery," Blossom repeated with a smirk, and again, changing the subject. "That's it! Were those spiders Morbucks, too?" Blossom asked. Bubbles shook her head.

"We don't know. We asked the same thing, and they didn't know either."

"I'm sure they were," Blossom concluded. Her mind raced with ideas, each one clearly fitting with the next. Everything was making a little more sense. "Princess is behind those mind control devices, _and_ she's behind the spiders. She… she wants to take over the world. It all makes sense!

"I believe she's been using the devices to control the world leaders, who are being forced against each other, to aide her in an easy conquest. It also distracts the media and law from her weapon industry, which is being run through the underground. That's why she's been connecting with organized criminals, so that she can develop an international military to help her takeover.

"Those devices were being tested on animals, and the testing was overseen by Fuzzy Lumpkins. Little did he know, he was being controlled, too, for whatever reason. Maybe because he's not that intelligent, or at least cooperative. Anyways, the spiders are weapons, and they were hidden in a cave, overseen by Sedusa, but I doubt she's being controlled. She sounds normal from what you explained.

"There's still a few holes that we need to figure out: why Fuzzy was being controlled, why Sedusa is part of this, why there were cameras watching you guys and Butch and Buttercup, and how all of this relates to Princess's plan the day after tomorrow."

Blossom explained everything at top-speed, not once allowing room for the others to interrupt. Brick stared at her, mouth hanging slightly. Boomer just looked confused, but Bubbles, quite used to Blossom's puzzle solving, was smiling triumphantly up at her sister.

"It all makes sense," she agreed. "It makes even more sense when you add Him in as a factor."

Blossom's eyes widened. She completely forgot to factor Him in!

"Yes! But maybe we need to figure that one out, too. What does Him have to do with anything? Is he the center of all of this? If anything, it looks more like Princess is the main problem, but maybe not after all. Perhaps we'll discover more when we face her."

"Sounds good," Bubbles said.

"You know," Brick stated with a sigh. "This is all way too much for my brain."

"Are you serious?" Boomer laughed through the screen. "_Too_ _much _for my brother Brick? No way."

"I'm exhausted!" Brick snapped. "And this is just way too much to soak in for one night. I gotta lay down."

"Look," Blossom said, more to Brick than anyone. "We'll see if my speculations are correct in a few days time. In the mean time, we've got a lot to do and a lot to think about. Bubbles? Boomer?" The two looked up at her and nodded. "Are you coming back to Townsville?"

"Yes," the two answered simultaneously.

"Good," Blossom said. "When we defeat Princess, we'll clean up really fast and head back home. You guys should be there by then. Try to contact Butch and Buttercup and have them head back home when we can. I think we should take everything that we know and talk to Mojo Jojo and the Professor."

"Have you talked to them?" Bubbles asked suddenly, her voice filled with concern.

"No," Blossom said sadly. "But it'll be better just to see them in person, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Exactly. So you guys head home. Tell Butch and Buttercup to head home soon. We'll defeat Princess, and had back as soon as we can. In the mean time…" Blossom sighed and readjusted the cuff in her hands. "I love you, Bubbles. I miss you, and I can't wait to see you and Boomer when we get home."

"You, too, Blossom," Bubbles said with a smile. "See you soon, then."

"Bye, guys," Boomer waved his hand.

"Bye, Boomer. Bubbles, too, I guess," Brick said, tilting his head.

"Bye, you two."

Then after a short pause, Bubbles and Boomer were gone. Brick leapt off the bed, and Blossom reattached the cuff on her wrist. She turned to Brick.

"First of all, I _really_ wish you'd chill out," she said scornfully. "Second, could you please not be rude to my sisters? Thanks?"

"I'm tired," Brick said exasperated. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"Third," Blossom continued. "Please stop being so negative. We'll get through this. We'll get home, and we'll figure out what's going on. We have time. So, please, _please_, be a little more positive, okay?"

Brick stared at her, as her bright pink eyes begged him to comply. He then realized that she looked just as tired, just as exhausted as he was. Even after her exciting account of everything, she looked about as ragged as he felt. And then… he felt very sorry for acting the way he did. He felt sorry for being a complete ass to her, and for acting childish about everything. He felt sorry for losing faith in the mission, and for over-analyzing and being over-pessimistic. He still couldn't admit all of this to her, but he knew he had to something.

"Okay."

It was all he could muster. Blossom smiled warmly and nodded her head. She thanked him, then rolled over in the bed, her back facing him. Brick smirked and hopped back on the couch. He lay there a moment in a thought. He was now officially pissed at himself for going against his pride. But yet, perhaps it was necessary, he reasoned. He would see how necessary it was in a few days time.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Blossom shaded her eyes from the dazzling morning sun. She sat at a bench, and made yet another scan of the area around the Sears Tower. She was somewhat in disguise, wearing a long, thin coat buttoned up over her uniform, her hair rolled up in a loose bun, and a pair of sunglasses that she just now pulled out of her pocket and placed over her eyes. She checked her wrist cuff for the time: 7:57 A.M. Blossom sighed and fingered the cell phone in her right coat pocket. Should she try to call Brick and check up on his progress? Maybe not, since he would have contacted her if he ran into anything. The two had no knowledge of when things would occur, so they were stuck waiting for things to unfold. Blossom shifted in her seat, feeling very impatient. She hoped things would happen soon, or she wouldn't know what to do.

That morning, she and Brick woke up very early, after sleeping through a very long and mostly sleepless night. Brick kept getting up throughout the night and getting water, or using the bathroom, or getting a bit of fresh air. Blossom knew he was just nervous. She was a bit nervous herself, but she was up mostly because he kept making noise, and because she had many thoughts running through her head since she spoke with Bubbles and Boomer. She was a bit nervous herself, but was looking forward to the morning. Ever since talking to Bubbles and Boomer, all the pieces had unbelievably falling into place, and it made Blossom very curious indeed. What more was she going to find out today? What other pieces will they discovered in due time? Blossom was eager for more, and her lack of sleep didn't bother her one bit. She and Brick had downed lots of coffee that morning anyway, so she was well energized.

Against her better judgment, Blossom pulled out her phone and dialed Brick's number. She knew there was not going to be any progress, but it was at least something to do. It rang… again… and again….

"Hello?" Brick answered. "What? Did you find anything?"

"No, I was just checking up on you," Blossom said. She sat back and folded one leg over the other. "Did _you_ find anything yet?"

"Of course not, I would've called you already," Brick replied impatiently.

"I know," Blossom said with a sigh. There was a short pause, and Brick cleared his throat.

"Bored?" he asked.

"Oh, God, yes," Blossom exclaimed. "You?"

"Yep. Boring as hell here," Brick said. "And it's not like we can do anything, you know?"

"Duh," Blossom said, her eyebrows flickering. She scanned the area again. Businessmen hurried in and out coffee shops, and tourists started their early morning journey through the city. Two men hailed a cab at the corner. A store clerk unlocked the front doors of their shop and propped open the door. All in all, absolutely nothing was happening.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll let you go, yeah?" Blossom heard some soft rattling on the other line.

"Yeah, sure," Brick grumbled.

"Yeah, I feel for ya," Blossom said sympathetically. "Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

_POW! POW-POW-POW! _

Blossom leapt up just as several men jumped out of cars, out of buildings, out of nowhere. They were covered head to toe in black armor, their heads shielded by a metal helmet and a thick layer of bulletproof plastic over their faces. Each man was packed with two large guns, tons of ammo attached to their body, and extra pistols in holsters on their thighs. The men shot their guns, causing all the citizens in the area to scatter and scamper away. They slowly made their way into the nearest shops, wielding their guns in front of them.

Loud, static gunshots rang in Blossom's ear, and she realized she was hearing it over the phone.

"Brick! What's going on?!" she cried.

"Men! Guns! They're everywhere!" Brick yelled into the phone.

"Get rid of them!" Blossom commanded. "I'll take care of mine. Then get over here as soon as you can."

"I don't know if I'll be able to, there's too many of them!" Brick bellowed over another series of gunshots ringing through the phone.

"Well, try to get the fight over to Grant Park, then!" Blossom shouted back into the phone, watching more men storm in from all over, heading in after the other men. Thankfully, none of the men were hitting any civilians, just scaring the daylights out of them, but Blossom wasn't sure how long that would last.

"Alright! See you soon!" Brick said, and hung up the phone. Blossom ripped off her coat and tossed her shades aside. She stuffed her phone in her backpack, and hoisted it over her shoulder. She leapt up in the air, avoiding the gapes and gawks of the civilians, and shot after the criminal soldiers

Miles up north, Brick was now battling his own pack of armed men. The men thundered in from all sides, guns blazing, and helmets shining. Brick stepped into the air and leapt on one man. The man screamed and shot off his gun, scrambling to push Brick off of him. Brick swung left, swung right, then smashed right through the man's faceguard, knocking him out. Several men nearby hollered after, and they came running. Brick held his fists forward, prepared to fight. He felt the adrenaline electrifying his limbs, and suddenly, he was ready for this battle.

'Come get me, assholes," he laughed. The men rained bullets on him, the shots ricocheting off Brick's thick skin. He chuckled and hopped in the air. He spun around, leg jutting straight out, and knocked down all the men in one blow. More men dove after him, wasting more precious ammunition on him. He kicked, punched, elbowed, and even shattered one guy's teeth. He jumped up and leapt on another man. He crashed his foot right through the helmet, and the man crumbled to the ground. Brick jumped on another guy's head, obliterating his helmet, too, then another, and another, playing some twisted sort of hopscotch game.

_THWOOMP!_

Brick felt a sickening crunch in his back and he fell to the ground. He groaned in pain, and he clawed at the cracked cement beneath him. Gritting his teeth, he looked up and saw a golden streak blaze through the sky above him. It came closer and closer, and then landed right in front of him. It was another armed person, holding two enormous guns, one of them smoking from the end. The person lifted his faceguard, and a beautiful, snarking face looked down upon him.

"You!" she cried.

"Hi, Princess," Brick whispered, the pain in his back growing magnificently by the second.

"What are you doing here, Brick?" she asked menacingly. "And why are you fighting my men?"

"Heh… heh…" With all his might, Brick twisted his back and cracked all his vertebrae back into place. He slowly lifted himself up and stood before Princess. She glared at him, her dark brown eyes narrowed into thin little slits below two perfectly shaped eyebrows.

"I think the better question is what are _you_ doing here, and _why_ do you have men fighting in the first place?" Brick's voice faltered, but his hyperactive immune system quickly worked through his body, and he started recuperating right away. Princess smiled.

"Who's with you?" she asked.

"Only the best: me," Brick said fiercely. He raised his fists again, and floated into the air. He looked at Princess. "Come on, babe. Show me whatcha got."

Princess snickered.

"You expect me to believe that not only are you here alone, but you're going to _fight_ me?" Princess asked disbelievingly. She cackled, and cocked her guns. "You're no match little boy."

"Little boy? Seriously?" Brick asked, rolled his eyes. Princess popped her hip to the side and rocketed into the air. Brick zoomed after her and the fight began.

Princess sent one missile hurtling towards Brick, but he dodged it, rolling around in the air. He threw his fist and socked Princess right in the jaw. Her helmet flew off and her curly hair bushed out around her head. Brick threw more punches, into her arm, into her chest, into her stomach. Princess lifted her leg up fast, right between Brick's legs –

"_Fuck_! You _bitch_!" Brick howled, pain exploding from his groin. Princess zipped back and shot off another missile. Brick looked up and opened his arms. He caught the missile with his bare hands, his body flying back several yards before he stopped in midair. He tossed the missile back at her, and she rocketed to the side, spiraling out of the way. Brick huffed, his body still in great pain, and shouted back at her.

"Come get me!"

He zoomed off toward Grant Park, hoping Princess would follow him. He hoped that Blossom would see his red streak, followed by Princess' gold, and she would get the idea.

Back by the Tower, Blossom slammed two soldier's heads together and hurled them at some others nearby. He groaned, and jumped in the air, giving herself a quick breather from all the action. She whirled around, observing all the men completely giving up their original tasks to come and fight her. Blossom sighed and turned up north. _Where's Brick_? She thought. She reached in her bag and pulled out her cell phone. She looked back up.

"Whoa!"

In the sky, two colors streaked through the air, faster than anything Blossom had ever seen. She knew right away what they were. She ignored the commotion below and headed towards Grant Park.

"Come and get me!" Blossom called to the men below. Sure enough, they followed her, all of them parading down the street, shouting and shooting after her. Blossom rolled her eyes and sped up. She hovered above the cool tricklings of Buckingham Fountain, specks of water splashing at her ankles. The streaks flew closer and closer, before they collided, and the gold streak swirled off past Blossom. She ducked, and Princess crashed into the fountain, splashing water everywhere.

Princess groaned. She crawled out of the fountain, her jetpack smoking, and her armor dented all over. Her guns dropped carelessly on the ground away from her. Brick zoomed past Blossom, and she followed him. Brick kicked Princess over and he and Blossom hovered above her.

"So, Princess, what have you been up to these days?" Blossom asked, placing her hands on her hips. Princess spat out some blood and scowled.

"What haven't I been up to?" she grumbled. She tried to sit up, but Brick kicked her back to the ground. Princess rubbed at her arm and stared at them. A small smile played on her face.

"What do you know about a testing facility, Princess?" Blossom demanded. "And Fuzzy? And Sedusa? And mechanical spiders?"

"Like I'll tell you anything!" Princess cried. She rolled over and scrambled up off the ground. She tried to relight her jetpack with a swish of her hips. Blossom snickered, and leapt over and tackled her. She pinned Princess' arms down and stared right into her eyes.

"You _will_ tell us everything!" Blossom said.

Princess growled and, with all of her strength, pushed Blossom away. Blossom stumbled over, just as Princess made an ear-splitting whistle. Suddenly, dozens of men poured around them from all sides, fast enough for Princess to make a fast exit. Blossom and Brick shot up, and hovered in the air next to each other. Blossom surveyed the area, calculating the number of enemies and formulating a quick strategy.

"Brick – cover me while I get Princess," Blossom ordered, feeling that reminiscent sense of leadership overcoming her. Brick whirled around and stared at her. He glared at her, and opened his mouth to say something… then, he shut it. Blossom eyed him.

"What?" she asked. Brick shook his head and flew down without another word. Blossom shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to think about whatever just happened. The only thing on her mind was finding Princess. Blossom scanned the area again, wondering exactly where she may have gone. Then she sighed, figuring this was pointless. She closed her eyes, and opened them – her eyes now set to X-ray vision. She glanced over the closest buildings… _Aha!_ Blossom spotted a figure fiddling with something in a building on the right. Blossom blinked back into normal vision, and headed down.

Blossom crashed into the building, smashing through the glass and cement. Princess turned around, and grinned. She now wielded a golden missile launcher over her shoulder, larger than her other guns. She pulled the trigger. Blossom leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the enormous rocket blasting through the air. Princess snickered and dashed off, leaving Blossom coughing in a cloud of smoke. Blossom zipped away and rubbed the sting from her eyes. Ignoring her tears, she glanced around for Princess' shimmering armor.

Far off, Brick smashed his fist through several gunmen. He leapt in the air, and searched the skies for a sign of Blossom or Princess. Right on cue, a huge blast burst through a nearby building, a shining, silver missile rocketing to the clouds. Brick spotted a golden glint racing through the smoke. He smirked and zoomed towards her. Princess' bushy brown hair bounced around her face, as she spun around on the spot and aimed her gun at Brick. She fired, and Brick simply turned to the side with a smirk.

"Is that the best ya got?" Brick laughed. Princess grimaced and ran back into the smoke. Brick rolled his eyes.

"Chickeeeeen!" he cawed, snorting to himself.

"Brick!"

Brick looked behind him to see Blossom whizzing towards him, her skin covered in a thin layer of dirt. She looked livid.

"Are you just gonna stand there and laugh at her? Go _get _her!" Blossom pointed

into the cloud of smoke. Brick's lip curled.

"Why don't you do it?" he snarled. Blossom looked at him, confused. She glanced down, eyeing the remaining hoards of gunmen shooting up at them and at each other. Blossom looked back at Brick.

"Then take care of that!" Blossom said, pointed below. "I'll get Princess."

"Why? Why don't you do all of it?"

"What's your problem?" Blossom demanded, absolutely flabbergasted. Brick frowned and shot off towards the gunmen. Blossom watched him, no idea why he was being so… difficult. She shook it off and headed through the smoke after Princess.

Princess cowered by another building, hurriedly reloading her missile launcher. Blossom did not waste a second, and hurtled towards her. She jammed her fist in the back of Princess' head, knocking her to the sidewalk. Princess made a sickening noise and rolled on her side. Her eyes fluttered open, and she bared her pearly white teeth. She coughed.

"Figured you'd be here, too," she wheezed. She closed her eyes, and tried to catch her breath. Blossom hovered over her, one foot planted firmly on Princess' hand, ready to stomp if need be. Princess' other hand lay trapped under her body, and she was now fairly paralyzed at the spot.

"How did you know, Princess?" Blossom asked. Princess chuckled weakly.

"All of you…" she whispered. "You're so gullible. So… stupid."

"How? How are we gullible? How are we stupid?" Blossom wanted more, more information to solve this mystery, more information to satisfy the detective in her head.

"Can't you see?" Princess asked, opening her eyes slightly again. "Trap. You fell right into the trap."

"Trap?" Blossom's eyes widened, and a pulse thumped in her temple. A trap? Were they in a trap?

"Tell me more!" Blossom ordered, pressing her foot down harder. Princess winced, the pressure on her fingers building.

Suddenly, several gunmen flew through the air, smashing into the building next to Blossom and Princess. Brick landed on the street, and immediately spotted them. He ran over.

"Trap!" Blossom said. Brick eyed her, then looked at Princess.

"Tell me more!" Blossom repeated, glaring down at Princess' pathetic, pained face. Princess rolled her head around, cracking several joints in her neck. She smiled.

"I know all about Sedusa," she began. "I know all about Fuzzy. I know all about everything. I know everything you know—" she glanced back up at Blossom and Brick. "—But you don't know everything I know."

"Maybe you should tell us!" Brick snarled. Princess rolled her eyes at Brick and grinned.

"Maybe you should come find me," she whispered. Blossom snorted.

"Find you where? You're right here," she laughed.

"North of Townsville. With your sisters, and your brothers. And Him."

"Him?" Brick questioned.

"Townsville?" Blossom repeated. "And what about our siblings? You're not going anywhere, Princess."

"Sure I am," Princess smirked. "And you are, too, if you're going to defeat us."

"What?" Blossom snapped impatiently.

"North of Townsville. You have a few days." Princess twisted back, and her trapped hand grabbed at something around her throat. "Catch you later."

And she disappeared.

"WHAT?!" Blossom shouted. She dropped to the ground, grasping at the air where Princess was moments ago. "NO!"

"Where the fuck did she go?!" Brick spun around, looking up and down and back and front. Princess was gone.

"What do we do now?" Brick asked, smoothing back his shaggy red hair. Blossom stood up and pursed her lips.

"We head back to Townsville, obviously," she said. "What else can we do?"

"How?" Brick asked. "Fly?"

Blossom turned around and gave him a dirty look. "Why not? What's there to lose now?"

"Fine," Brick huffed. He turned back around. He and Blossom noticed that the smoke was clearing, though several gunmen were heading their way.

"Finish them off and head back home?" Blossom suggested. Brick rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, captain."

Then, a car horn shrieked into the air. A brigade of shining black sports cars rolled around the car a block away and raced down the street. Brick and Blossom leapt in the air to avoid the massive army of vehicles. The cars stopped all over the street, all over the lawn, and even more gunmen poured out. Blossom sighed.

"They just keep coming, don't they?"

"No," Brick laughed. He pointed. "They're not after us."

The gunmen stormed after the other gunmen, raining a barrage of bullets all over the park. Brick floated down and hovered over to the last car to pull up. The back car door opened, and Tomas and Don Guerilli stepped out. Blossom, confused, zoomed over and landed next to Brick.

"We're very late," Don Guerelli said, a look of misfortune on his face. But he shrugged and looked at Blossom and Brick. "You did a beautiful job."

"Thank you, Signore," Brick said with a bow. Blossom smiled and nodded.

"We'll take care of it from here," Tomas said, pulling out a pistol from his coat pocket and heading into the battle. Blossom looked at him, and then the Don.

"We tried to hold them off as best as we could, and we almost got Princess—"

"Blossom!" Brick glared at her. "Shut up."

"Brick." Brick winced and looked at the Don. The Don eyed him scornfully, one bushy eyebrow raised. Brick's face dropped all color.

"Fratellino, you should learn to respect women, especially ones with as much wit and nerve as this one," Don Guerelli scolded. Brick sighed and nodded. Blossom then realized she was being complimented, and all the color Brick lost suddenly found its place in Blossom's face.

"Th-thank you? Signore?" Blossom stammered. Don Guerelli nodded.

"Blossom," he started, Blossom's face flushing red. "Clearly, your power and leadership skills are extraordinary, as extraordinary as Fratellino's. If you are ever in need of anything – a job, money, protection – you are more than welcome in our family."

Blossom was trembling, and she could barely mutter a thanks. She bowed gracefully. Brick inhaled deeply, trying to withhold his anger, and he turned to her.

"We oughta go," he said. Blossom nodded and grinned weakly.

"We need to get Princess still," Brick told the Don. "She… got away."

"I have faith in you," Don Guerelli nodded. "_Buona fortuna._" He bowed one last time, and stepped back into the sports car. Brick and Blossom hopped into the air and soared up above the city. Blossom turned to Brick.

"He… he offered me a job?" she asked, strangely flattered. Brick snorted.

"Don't get too excited," he grumbled. He quickly changed the subject. "How long will it take to get back home?"

"I don't know… a couple days at least," Blossom replied, going along with the topic-change.

"Great," Brick sighed.

"How much time do we have?" Blossom asked, more curious than anything.

"Two days. Tomorrow and the day after." Brick answered without a thought. Blossom smiled.

"Plenty of time," she said. Brick stared at her.

"For what? Princess could be up to anything…"

"Plenty of time to think," Blossom laughed. "I think I'm on to something anyway."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Buttercup wasn't sure how many days had gone by since the conversation. She wasn't sure how long it was since Bubbles called back and filled her and Butch in on the events surrounding Blossom and Brick. She wasn't sure when she was supposed to be heading back to Townsville. The only thing she was sure of was that – holy Jesus – she was sick. She had been unbelievably nauseas for a few days now, even vomiting once or twice. She was constantly tired, and she was experiencing more soreness than she should expect.

Why she was ill, Buttercup had no idea. Perhaps she ate something bad; they were eating terrible canned food, anyway. Maybe it was the whole being-stuck-in-a-cave-for-almost-a-month thing. She did, unfortunately, have another strange inkling about what might be wrong with her. Buttercup chose not to think about it, though, and most definitely _not_ bring it up to Butch. If she did that, she might _really_ be sick. The inkling, to say the least, should not even be a possibility, as far as she knew. But she felt it, literally, in the pit of her stomach. Hopefully, she just had the flu. _That's it._ _The flu. _She practically made that mantra in her head. _The flu._

"Are you okay?" Butch asked, his eyebrows furrowing sympathetically. Buttercup looked up at him. A crashing wave of pain swelled in her head, and she clenched her eyes shut.

"I'm fine," she lied. Buttercup stepped forward, stumbling a little on the rocky footpath. Butch caught her and pulled her up straight. He looked her in the eyes.

"Do you want a break?" he said, more stern than necessary. Buttercup shook her head, and pushed him away.

"We keep taking breaks, we'll never get anywhere," she said. It was the truth. They did keep taking unnecessary breaks, or at least unnecessary to her. Perhaps it was just her innate determination, remarkable stamina, or just plain stupidity; regardless, she just wanted to keep going. She was sure they had very little time left, anyway; more breaks were just a waste.

"Either we break, or I'm fucking carrying you, Buttercup." Butch said matter-of-factly. Buttercup scoffed and kept walking. Butch sighed and followed her. He caught up to her and grabbed her.

"Hey!" Buttercup whirled around and fought back. Butch held her still, and stared at her patiently. Instantly, Buttercup's fatigue got the better of her, and she gave up. She rested her head on his chest and groaned.

"We'll just stand here a second then," she said reluctantly. So they did. Butch could feel her grow heavier by the minute, mostly from her falling asleep against him. After a few minutes he rubbed her back and pulled her away from him. She looked up at him sleepily.

"Any better?" he asked.

"I told you I was fine."

Buttercup broke out of his grasp and started back down the path, staggering a little more. Butch rolled his eyes.

"Always a fighter, huh?"

"You bet!" Buttercup called back to him.

The two walked several more yards, Buttercup still having trouble keeping her balance, and Butch watching her from behind to make sure she didn't fall. It was an interesting thing – every time she tripped, Butch's arm flinched forward. He stopped himself, but the urge didn't go away. He wanted to help her, to protect her; it was almost instinct. This was unusual, considering Butch's innate nature was to destroy, not to defend. And why should he defend Buttercup, of all people? She could fend fantastically for herself. At this moment, though, there was something about her that cried for support. As tough as she was – right now, for whatever reason – she looked _vulnerable_. This isn't how it should have been, though. Yeah, Butch liked her, but it shouldn't be more than that. She should've been simply another notch in the headboard.

Butch suddenly felt guilty for thinking of her so badly. That was quite a low opinion to think of a girl just for sex. Then again, why should he care? It wasn't like him to be all googly-eyed or respectful at all for some chick. This wasn't his style. He "fell in love" only once, and it wasn't even his fault. Admittingly, it _was_ with Buttercup, but again – it was an accident! But surely, these feelings weren't resurfacing… were they? May they already did?

Butch wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"What the fuck?"

Butch came down from his thoughtful cloud, and looked at Buttercup. She stopped, and stared blankly at the rocky wall before her.

Wait… wall?

Butch sped up and ran over to her. The two stood next to each other, now both of them staring blankly at the wall.

"What's this?" Butch asked.

"Clearly, it's a wall, Butch," Buttercup said irritatingly. She banged her fist on the wall, a thick, quiet thud rumbling back at her. "And it's solid."

"That's it, then?" Butch examined the wall, running his fingers over the rough stone. "That's the end of the path."

"Now what do we do?!" Buttercup cried. She slammed both fists against the wall, causing dust and particles to rain down onto them. Butch eyed her, suddenly worried about her over-reaction. He smiled.

"I already told you what we'd do," he said. Buttercup glared at him.

"What?"

"We'll go up."

"Go up?"

"Yeah!" Butch looked above him, grinning at the low ceiling with its short, blunt stalactites. Buttercup rolled her eyes and looked around her. Butch looked back down and frowned. "C'mon. We'll finally get the hell out of here."

Buttercup considered this, and looked around one last time. She looked at the grime building along every crack and crevice. She looked around at the foul-smelling water leaking through the walls. She looked down at the conical stalagmites, growing from the ground like spikes in a trap. Then, she smiled.

"Oh, God, yes, you're right," Buttercup moaned. "Let's get outta here!"

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Butch laughed.

The two glowered up at the ceiling, the top of the death trap that encased them for a month. They each simultaneously blinked one single laser beam, and the rock crumbled down, small boulders and tiny pebbles tumbling from the heavens. The sunlight poured into the murky cave, burning onto their cool skin. Butch grabbed Buttercup's arm and the two floated through the hole back to civilization.

Buttercup took a breath of the fresh, fresh air. She never realized the strain the cavern atmosphere had had on her lungs. This air was lighter, sweeter, and filled her body with such strength, she no longer felt tired nor ill. The sun was such a warm blaze on her skin, and the heat had to have gone straight into her blood. She felt immediately energized, finally free from the wretched underground. She took deeper, more empowering breaths. She looked at Butch, lying happily in the hot sand.

Sand?

Buttercup turned around. Then again. And again. Everywhere she looked, there was just… sand. She searched around for the hole they came from, but astonishingly, it was gone.

"Butch?" Buttercup collapsed to the ground, gazing off in a daze. "Butch, where are we?"

"A desert, I would guess?" Butch replied, rolling onto his stomach.

"Where?" Buttercup repeated. She broke her gaze and glanced at Butch. He rolled his eyes and sat up. He flipped open his wrist cuff.

"Do we have a radar on here?" he asked, pressing a few buttons. Buttercup shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Probably?"

"Found it." Butch fiddled around with some more buttons, then found a link on the screen to a radar. It flashed some colors, then a little red dot blinked on a large green surface. A tiny marquee scrolled across the bottom.

"We are in 'North Outskirts, Townsville, U.S.A.,'" Butch read. His breath cut short. Buttercup turned to him, baffled.

"North Townsville?"

"Uhh…" Butch stared again at the marquee. "Yeah."

"Let me see," Buttercup grabbed his wrist and peered into the screen. She made a noise, then flipped open her own wrist cuff. She pressed a few buttons, and somehow found her own radar screen.

"What the hell? North Townsville? There's no desert in North Townsville."

***

"You see it?" Boomer pointed out at a fuzzy, dark shadow above the water. Bubbles sighed sleepily, and smiled. The two stood at the railing, content in waiting for their arrival back to Townsville. They had no idea what to do afterwards, so there was no rush to get there. Bubbles was enjoying their makeshift Noah's Ark, playing with and caring for all the animals. Right now she was scratching behind the ear of a rather loving calico cat. Boomer was enjoying the relief, being off the island and pretty much done with the mission. He did notice a few disheartening things, including the lack of further knowledge, like what was going on with Mojo Jojo and the Professor, and most importantly, the lack of time left until God-knows-what.

This was the last day. There were only hours left until they would know their fate. Naturally, Boomer was absolutely terrified; however, at the moment, he was okay. Perhaps it was Bubbles carefree attitude that put him at ease. She definitely did not seem to care about the time left, if she even noticed. She had had a smile on her face since the battle at the facility, and her happiness – wherever it came from – never faded. Boomer decided not to remind her, in fear it would either irritate her, or worse, destroy her optimism.

"So what are we doing with the animals?" Boomer asked, watching the cat leap down from the railing and rub against his leg.

"I can take some of them to the shelter, but after that, I have no idea," Bubbles said with a laugh. "We could always set them loose on the city."

"That's a bad idea!" Boomer exclaimed. "They would get hit by cars, and starve in the alleys—"

Boomer stopped. Bubbles simply smiled softly at him. Boomer smirked, suddenly understanding.

"You were kidding, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was," Bubbles giggled. Boomer rolled his eyes. Her giggles died down, and Bubbles continued. "We also need to take Fuzzy to the hospital, though."

"Oh, yeah!" Boomer almost forgot. The two turned and looked at the sleeping, pink lump on the deck that was Fuzzy Lumpkins. He snored loudly, one eyelid twitching. Bubbles turned back and continued.

"We'll do that, but for the animals, we could always ask the Professor when we go back and check on him."

"Glad you thought of that, too," Boomer said, turning back next to her. He looked at her. "Why haven't we checked on them? I've been… I've been wondering what happened."

"I've been worried, too," Bubbles said softly, glancing knowingly at Boomer. "I guess we've been too busy?"

"Maybe," Boomer shrugged. He looked off into the water, trying to look calmer than he felt. "Do you think the others checked on him?"

"I dunno. We probably should've asked," Bubbles replied. Boomer nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, we'll see soon enough," Bubbles assured.

The two stared back out into the sea, the fuzzy shadow looming closer by the minute. Boomer's thoughts trailed off, pondering the whereabouts of Mojo and Utonium and distracting himself from other distressing thoughts. Bubbles was feeling peaceful, triumphant in their success saving the animals and happy to be going home. Other thoughts did drift through her mind, mostly the same ones as Boomer. She was mostly definitely not upset, though. If she lost her powers tomorrow, she would be sad, of course, but it wouldn't stop her from doing most of the things she loved. She could still help animals. She could still go to school and learn. She could still be with her family, still be with her sisters, and still be with her friends. But frankly, if she died tomorrow, she would be happy to know that she performed some wonderful deeds before she left. She and Boomer made a difference, and though there's more she would like to do, she was glad for what she had down already.

"Do you feel something?"

Bubbles lost her train of thought and looked at Boomer. Boomer lifted his arm and felt his cufflink.

"I'm… buzzing?" he said, puzzled. Bubbles felt her own arm, and sure enough, her wrist was vibrating, too. She was too contemplative before to notice. The two glanced at each other once, then flipped open the lids. The screen blinked into a green map, with a small blinking red dot way up north. Beneath the map, a small marquee crawled across the screen. "North. Now."

"What is this?" Boomer asked. Something sour started growing at the bottom of his stomach – he did not have a good feeling about this.

"We gotta go," Bubbles said, shutting the lid. "We gotta get back now."

"Now? What for?" Boomer demanded.

"It said so, Boomer," Bubbles replied simply. "Why are you questioning it?"

"Because it seems… random?" he shut the lid and starting rubbing his arm. Bubbles stared at him, concerned.

"You okay?"

"No," Boomer answered honestly. "We have to do something about the animals, we have to do something about Fuzzy, and we need to see the Professor and Mojo."

"We'll take care of the animals and Fuzzy when we get back," Bubbles reassured him. "But we have to go north. Mojo and the Professor said so."

"Okay, fine, but how are getting back now? We have hours before we make it back to land."

Bubbles stared at him incredulously for a moment. Then she stepped on the railing, leapt over the edge and floated above the water.

"I think you forget we have powers," Bubbles said, hiding a smile. She grabbed the railing again and lifted. Barely breaking a sweat, Bubbles lifted the tankard out of the water, tilting the ship dangerously up to the side. Boomer grabbed the ledge and caught his balance, surprised by her strength. Then, his face flushed deep red, mortified at his own stupidity. Bubbles gritted her teeth.

"Help me!" she groaned. Boomer, trying to hide his face, shook his head and bounded over to the other side of the ship. He grabbed the opposite railing and lifted up, and the two held the giant ship over the surface of the water.

"Let's get home!" Bubbles cried. With all their might, the two zoomed off towards Townsville, carrying the great tankard all the way back to land. In only minutes, the fuzzy shadow became the bright, shimmering city the left a month ago, the port only yards away. Boomer spotted a nice spot to land, and guided the ship towards the dock. Bubbles noticed tiny citizens on the boardwalk stop in their tracks and look up to the heavens. Bubbles grinned, her love of her fellow citizens rising in her chest. She and Boomer lugged the ship to the dock and slowly lowered it back into the water. The boat rocked, parting the water with enormous waves under them.

"Now what?" Boomer called, zipping over to Bubbles. Bubbles whirled around, searching around the vicinity. She stopped at the little stand near the entrance of the port, and without a word, dashed off towards it. Boomer followed her, not even bothering to question her actions. Bubbles practically landed in the stand, and her mouth started off before she could contain herself.

"Sir-I-need-you-to-call-the-animal-shelter--the-Townsville-community-college's-zoological-department-the-police-an-ambuluance-and-find-a-home-for-those-animals!"

The surly-looking guard stared at her, utterly baffled.

"Excuse me?" he droned. Bubbles heaved one great breath of air.

"Call the police, the animal shelter, an ambulance, and the Townsville community college, and do something about those animals on that tankard! Get Fuzzy Lumpkins to the hospital, too, and if you have to, tell them Bubbles sent you."

"Uh…"

"Okay, thanks!"

Bubbles leapt into the air and looked at Boomer. Boomer glared at her, flustered and confused by Bubbles' sudden take-charge behavior. Bubbles nodded.

"Okay? Now let's go north, and see what's going on."

"Alright," Boomer sighed, and the two bounded north, both unsure as to where they were headed. The two streaked over street after street, building after building, never taking a moment to be thankful they were home. Bubbles glanced ahead at the foggy array of forestry, and then she glanced down at the "Leaving Townsville" sign. They zipped right over the sign, and Bubbles looked over at Boomer.

"Shouldn't we have reached the target yet?"

Then…

"What the—"

Bubbles and Boomer came to a quick halt in mid-air. Suddenly, they were floating over an immense sea of sand, and nothing but sand in every direction around them. The two whirled around, confused.

"What just happened?" Boomer asked, turning back to Bubbles. She flipped open her wrist cuff and gazed at the radar.

"We're… here? North Townsville?" She glanced around again, stopping at the direction they had just come from. There should've been buildings, trees, _anything_ but sand. There should've been the sign below, the one she had just seen. Bubbles blinked a few times, hoping she was simply seeing things. "I… I don't understand."

"Me neither," Boomer agreed, glancing at his own radar, then shaking his head. He hovered down to the ground, closely followed by Bubbles. They landed and did another quick scan of the vicinity.

"Hello?" Bubbles called, two hands cupping over her mouth. She didn't think calling out would mean anything; they hadn't seen anyone before. She definitely didn't think she'd get the reply that she did.

_"Hello?"_

Bubbles and Boomer turned around… and blinked. Surely what they saw was simply a mirage. Surely the two pale, dark-haired beings weren't—

_"Buttercup?!"_

_"Butch?!"_

***

"_Now_ how much time do we have?" Blossom asked, whipping some of her long, fiery hair out of her face.

"It's almost seven in Townsville, April 11th," Brick replied, rubbing his sore, dry eyes, which was rather futile, considering the two had been flying for about twelve hours straight. The travel back home was definitely much slower than he hoped, and he was definitely starting to lose some of his cool. He hated that they had to stop a lot to hide from airplanes and witnesses, to grab food, or (to pretend) to sleep on the top of a building. Thankfully, they were on their last trek home, and according to his radar, they were only several miles north of Townsville. They still had five hours left until their thirty days was up, and he didn't think he'd like what they discovered upon their return.

"Five hours, hm?" Blossom commented. She stopped, a rush of air flushing past below her. Brick stopped a bit ahead of her and floated around. Blossom glanced at the little radar on her wrist cuff.

"So we're just a few minutes away, aren't we?" Blossom smiled, closing the lid and looking at Brick. He rolled his eyes and fruitlessly straightened his windswept hair.

"So what are waiting for?" he demanded. "A sign?"

Then, his left wrist began to vibrate. He winced and grabbed at his wrist cuff with his other hand. He looked at his cuff, then at Blossom. She was holding her cuff, too. She huffed.

"Well, answer it!" she said.

"Why don't you?" Brick spat back.

"What the hell, Brick?" Blossom groaned, and flipped up the lid. Brick quickly followed suit. On each of their screens, there, too, was the same target in "North Townsville," and a little marquee below it with the words "North. Now."

"That a good enough sign for you?" Blossom asked, snapping her lid closed again. Brick made a noise, and slammed his own lid shut.

"Let's go," he grumbled.

The two shot off, heading closer and closer to Townsville. Blossom smiled as she saw an inkling of the familiar skyline of home. The blurry blue buildings became clearer the closer they flew, with the sun just beginning to set on the right, emitting a glow of glimmering gold, deep purples, and bleeding reds. It was such a strange beauty that even Brick's heart fluttered upon sight. Brick looked at Blossom, calmly rocketing forward behind him.

"Come on, can't we go faster?" Brick chuckled. Blossom rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" Blossom asked.

"To get home," Brick answered, and he readjusted his position in the air. He kicked forward, blasting him faster through the air. Blossom clicked her tongue and followed his moves exactly. She blasted forward, Townsville suddenly magnifying as it jumped closer and—

…disappeared.

Blossom fought against the wind, whizzing this way and that until she gained enough control to stop. She rubbed her brighter-than-usual pink eyes, and looked around. Meanwhile, Brick lost all control and plummeted to the soft, golden sand below. Blossom gasped and dropped down after him. He scrambled up, his feet slipping in the sand. He looked around himself, amazed at the sight around him.

"What the fuck happened?" he stammered. He stood his ground, but he looked around, back, left, right, up. "Where-where are we? Holy shit, what did I do? What did I do?"

"I don't think you did anything," Blossom answered. She slowly scanned the area, seeing absolutely nothing but sand and sky, soft gold and striking blue. The colorful sky before was so simple, so cloudless, that it didn't even seem real. In fact, Blossom was sure it wasn't real.

"What is this, then?" Brick asked. Blossom flipped up her cuff's lid once again and stared at the radar.

"Clearly, we are in North Townsville, right on the mark." She showed him the little screen, and then closed the lid.

"Bullshit," Brick chuckled, not convinced. "This isn't Townsville, and it's definitely not the north side."

"Apparently, it is," Blossom said with a shrug. Brick stared at her, incredulous.

"Are you on something?" he asked with a laugh. "Haven't you been in the city enough to know—"

"That this is a trick?" Blossom finished for him. Brick raised an eyebrow… then looked away thoughtfully.

"Who's here?" Blossom called out, her voice loud and clear. "Show yourself!" She awaited a reply.

"Who the hell would be here?" Brick asked. Blossom ignored him, and called again.

"Hello?"

_"Buttercup?!"_

_"Butch?!"_

"What?" Blossom blinked, and right in the spot where she was looking stood four figures – two blonde, two dark-haired, all in similar garb. One of the blondes turned her head and squealed.

_"Blossom?!"_

Before she could even react, the blonde girl hurried over and embraced Blossom. A strong smell of tree sap, animal dander, and smoke overwhelmed her, and Blossom had to think for a second to realize it was Bubbles. Bubbles let go, and smiled at Blossom with great delight.

"I can't believe it's you! And Brick?" Bubbles turned and grinned at Brick. Bubbles laughed and leapt over to Brick, hugging him, too. Brick, in complete shock, simply patted her back awkwardly. Blossom blinked and rubbed her eyes again, refusing to believe them.

"Whatsa matter, leader girl? The sight too good to be true?" Blossom opened her eyes to see an exhausted, bruised, but generally happy-looking Buttercup. Blossom felt a smile slip on her face, and she stepped forward to hug her sister. Buttercup squeezed back tight, and then let go and smiled weakly at her. Blossom raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, before I start worrying about you, how do I know it _is_ you?"

"Because in seventh grade, Bubbles wouldn't bathe for a week after we watched Jaws on TV," Buttercup snickered. Bubbles whirled around and gave Buttercup an uncharacteristically dirty look.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone that!" Bubbles hissed, ignoring the confused faces of the newly reunited Rowdyruff Boys.

"Well, at least I know it's you two, and I'll just assume it's Boomer and Butch, too," Blossom said with a grin.

"Yeah, it's us," Boomer nodded, rubbing his neck.

"Boomer here has way too much of fucking farmer's tan to _not_ be real," Butch said, elbowing his brother in the side. Boomer snorted and smacked him away.

"Wow, I'm actually happy to see you guys," Brick greeted his brothers, embracing each of them.

The six of them chatted for a moment, happy to be seeing each other finally after almost a month. It wasn't necessarily the length of time apart that made this moment so special. Brick and Boomer, for example, weren't sure if they would see each other again before the thirty days were up. Butch and Buttercup were more than ecstatic to be above ground _and_ to run into this warm welcome. Bubbles was utterly thrilled to see all of them, and Blossom, despite her disbelief, was also delighted. Considering the disheartening circumstances, this moment was more than joyous.

Buttercup, naturally, was the first to break it.

"Now what?" she asked. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I wanna go home," Bubbles said. "But we were called here for a reason, right?"

"Yeah, but what's here?" Brick demanded.

"Sand," Boomer commented.

"North Townsville, can't you tell?" Butch added sardonically. Buttercup gave him a dirty look. He immediately looked up, almost apologetically.

"I think," Blossom began, stepping a few feet away and kicking around at the sand. "…this is a trap."

"How?" Boomer asked. "What for?"

"How do you know, Blossom?" Buttercup asked, eying her sister strangely. Blossom glanced at her, knowing what Buttercup was looking for.

"I think I figured it out, Buttercup," she said reassuringly. "We were summoned."

"How do you know this?" Brick demanded, stepping in front of the others and narrowing his eyes.

"Because we're not done," Blossom laughed dryly. "We've got to take care of Sedusa, we've got to take care of Princess, and we've got to take care of Him. Right?"

"Right," Buttercup repeated slowly.

"Yeah. Right," Brick said.

_"Right."_

Something rumbled and exploded in a snap beneath their feet, and suddenly, the six plunged through a dark, swirling abyss below. Blossom heard a few gasps and a few cries from the rest of the gang, but she simply closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the battle ahead.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The six heroes landed hard on a dark, rocky surface. Blossom knelt up, ignoring the pain searing through from her legs and wrists, and looked around. They were enclosed in sparkling, blood red rock, lighted above with a single chandelier, complete with three red candles. Even the soft smoke had a reddish tinge. Ahead was only one passage, lit with more red lanterns. Blossom smirked.

"Where are we?" Bubbles asked, slowly standing up and brushing maroon sand off her knees. Buttercup stood up, and gripped her stomach.

"Not another cave," she grumbled. Butch stood up after her and – curiously, to Blossom – rubbed her shoulder.

"It's not just a cave," Blossom assured. She stood up and glanced at the others. All of them stood there, eying their surroundings.

"You guys ready?" Blossom asked. Bubbles and Buttercup nodded right away. Butch and Boomer eyed each other, then nodded. Brick's right eye simply twitched.

"I'm guessing you're taking charge, then," he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Buttercup snapped, her bright green eyes staring dangerously in his direction. He glimpsed back at her, then away. He shook his head curtly.

"Alright," Blossom said. "Then let's go."

Blossom led the way through the passage, followed closely by Bubbles and a wary-looking Boomer, then a surly Brick, then Buttercup and Butch taking the rear. They took a quick right several feet ahead, then took a left almost straight away. They walked a few yards, then turned right again. Then again. Then again. The heroes wound themselves through endless, crimson cave halls, around and around.

"Where the fuck are we going?" Buttercup questioned, stopping short and wiping a thick layer of sweat off her face. Blossom stopped, too, followed immediately by the others.

"I don't know," Blossom admitted. "It feels like we're just going in circles."

_"Now you get it."_

Suddenly, the walls around them sank into the floors, faster than a snake's fangs. Beneath their feet, the crimson stone ground spread out and out then stopped. A cliff-like edge cut around the entire area, and it took only a second to realize they were standing on a giant floating platform. Beyond the edge, other smaller platforms floated casually around like clouds moving through a sky of pictures. The pictures moved soundlessly, snapshots and film reels of random thoughts, random movies, and random scenes taken out of real-life. Blossom caught a picture that looked strangely like a view of the Drake Hotel, the place that she and Brick had visited weeks earlier. Bubbles saw something with flickering black and white fuzz that occasionally would spit a blurry image of something tropical… and burning. Buttercup saw a snippet of a video, two small dark-haired beings embracing from far away. Her lip began to curl, as pink flushed over her face.

"Going in circles," said a soft, drawling voice. The six whirled around and faced none other than Sedusa, hovering far up above them on her own platform. Below one of her eyes shone a bright blue bruise and her gleaming smile showed one golden fang amongst the rest of her teeth. Otherwise, she looked completely recomposed, especially from the last time Butch and Buttercup had seen her. "What you've been doing the whole time, right?"

"Have we now?" Blossom asked, tilting her head to the side, curious. "What exactly have we been doing, Sedusa?"

The others gathered around behind Blossom, Brick close on her right with Bubbles and Boomer behind him, and Buttercup and Butch on her left. They all stared intently at Sedusa, as she simply shook her slithering snake-like locks out of her face.

"You've been on – what do they call them? – Ah… a wild goose chase," Sedusa replied, one gloved finger curling around one wild lock of hair.

"Oh, really?" Blossom snorted. "Why not tell us everything, Sedusa? Saves you time before—"

"We kick your ass," Buttercup spat, a poisonous look upon her face. Blossom nodded.

"Precisely."

"On the contrary," Sedusa giggled. "It wastes your time, doesn't it? The very little, _precious_ time you still have?"

"Just tell us, Sedusa," Blossom said. "What is this supposed 'goose chase?'"

"Haven't you caught on?" Sedusa asked, her voice dripping. "And I thought you were the smart one."

Blossom raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Oh, fine," Sedusa snapped. "You were set up, kiddies."

"How?" Brick demanded, stepping forward a little.

"Didn't you hear me? You were sent on a wild goose chase. A wild chase that led you right into this," Sedusa said, raising her arms to present the room.

"What is this?" Blossom asked. "A trap?"

"Oh!" Sedusa cried. "So you are a little smart! Very good, Blossom!"

"Oh, she's not the smart," snapped a voice from behind. The six whirled around only to see a very bitter-looking, very battle-ready Princess, floating on her own platform. She wore an all-black jumpsuit with a glittering silver belt, and a matching helmet covering most of her bushy brown hair. Blossom and the others backed up and realigned themselves, putting both Sedusa and Princess in sight.

"I had to tell her," she added, folding her arms over her chest.

"Evening, Princess," Blossom said with a smirk. Princess sneered.

"What _does_ clever ole Blossom know?" Sedusa asked. "Surely you have _something_ figured out?"

"I do," Blossom said triumphantly. "Princess is working on another plan for world domination. Correct?"

"Correct, Blossom! You're _so_ intelligent!" Princess exclaimed, though rather sarcastically.

"She has a point, Blossom," Brick whispered. Blossom rolled her eyes and continued.

"Mind control devices. You've been using those devices to… to control everyone. Everything. You used them for the monkeys on the island, you used them on the world leaders, to distract them or something, and you used one on Fuzzy Lumpkins so he can watch over your testing facility. Why, I don't know, but you did."

Princess's eyebrows flickered strangely. She smiled, bemused.

"Maybe you're smarter than I thought," she commented. "The monkeys were mostly just a test. The world leaders needed an extra push to pit them against each other, and yes, to distract them from my own business. Fuzzy, to be honest, is a hackneyed nobody, and I needed one to watch my testing facility, and he proved as easily-controlled as a TV set."

"And you were working on your weapon industry," Blossom continued. "Selling guns and whatnot all over the world, mostly to other mafias and other underground figures. You were building up a nice name for yourself, maybe making a personal army? Like the small one you had in Chicago? And speaking of weapons – you built those spiders, didn't you?"

"Did you?" Buttercup said suddenly.

"You are much smarter than I thought," Princess chuckled. "I'm actually surprised! Yes, as a matter of fact, I did build those spiders. Spy-2000 was one of my favorite weapons I've ever built, and I have every intention of releasing them upon the world."

"Have?" Buttercup snorted. "We destroyed all the ones in cave!"

"Why were they in the cave, anyway?" Blossom asked.

"Well, see," Princess began, repositioning herself on her platform. "That cave was a very handy storage unit, but once this whole thing started, I had to get rid of most of it, or at least relocate them. But I left my spiders as a nice little gift, right Buttercup?"

"Bitch," Buttercup snarled. Princess chortled.

"So what is this little thing exactly?" Blossomed questioned. "Maybe Sedusa can answer? She's been awfully quiet."

"I'm marveling at your intelligence," Sedusa said. "Or, well, lack thereof, more like. This 'little thing' was our plan. Our plan to destroy you."

"Obviously," Brick groaned. "Specifics, maybe?"

"Brick, please," Blossom said, looking scornfully at Brick. He gave her a dirty look and folded his arms across his chest. Blossom looked back at Sedusa.

"What is this plan, Sedusa?"

"To bring you all down, of course," Sedusa said. "Obviously, Miss Princess here couldn't take over the world with you in the way."

"What about us?" Brick asked, stepping forward and pushing Blossom out the way. Princess and Sedusa instinctively jumped, expecting him to attack. He stood there, both fists clenched at his sides.

"What do my brothers and I have to do with any of this? We're not _them._ Why are we dragged into this mess?"

Brick had a point, as Blossom thought about it. Considering Brick's loyalty to the mafia, and what she could only guess about Butch and Boomer, they weren't exactly on the same plane as she and her sisters. They were, and still are, the Powerpuff Girls. The boys were, and probably still are, the Rowdyruff Boys. Frankly, shouldn't the Rowdyruff Boys have been the perfect assets to any evil plan against them? The boys and the girls were equal, but have always been enemies… up until now at least.

Maybe that was it?

"Because, Brick," Princess started, her voice much higher than usual. "You all would just mess everything up! You and you other boys are nothing but failures!"

"What?!" Boomer and Butch stepped forward, Butch's jaw jutting out dangerously, and Boomer's eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"You heard me!" Princess snarled.

"Besides," Sedusa droned. "You did play some type of part for us, anyway. He told us you'd turn sweet on us anyway, though. Sure enough—" She looked at Butch specifically. "Most of you did."

"Wait, what?" Boomer asked quick. "What part _did_ we play?"

"It doesn't matter," Blossom said softly, stepping closer, followed by Buttercup and Bubbles. "I think the better question is: who is 'he?' I know the answer, anyway, though."

"Oh?" Sedusa cooed. "Who?"

Blossom simply stared at Sedusa. Without a blink, she answered,

"Him."

"Really?" Princess laughed. "How'd you guess?"

"Well besides being in Him's lair," Blossom scoffed, glancing up. "Or besides you slipping it to Brick and I before you disappeared, I would say it was obvious that this wasn't just one of Princess' world domination plans, with Sedusa playing some key role. There's more to this. Oh, how did you pull that disappearing act, by the way?"

Princess and Sedusa glanced at each other and grinned. They both pulled out dazzling jewel necklaces, deep red for Sedusa, and shimmering purple for Princess. Blossom immediately recognized the necklace from the mob party; she _was_ wearing it around her neck that night.

"Just another handy invention," Princess replied, dangling the necklace before them. "It's not exactly ruby slippers, but it does the job. It's got microphone, too."

"So you were talking into it at the party," Blossom remembered. Princess smiled and tucked the necklace back under her shirt.

"Got me out of that one mess, right, Buttercup?" Sedusa snickered, tucking her own necklace back into her cleavage. Buttercup remained silent, but her teeth began to show the more her lip curled.

"What was your part, anyway, Sedusa? Besides watching Butch and Buttercup in the cave."

"Do you really think that's all I did?" Sedusa asked, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward with her chin in her hand. "Watch two little idiots lovespat for a month underground? First of all, that's not _all_ I watched. I think it was Butch that hoped I saw everything? Well, I did. I saw the optimistic Bubbles and buzzkill Boomer clean up lake, destroy a laboratory, and sleep like little angels all over an island. I saw a very proud Brick argue and argue everyday with a snooty Blossom, except of course that time when he took care of her when she was poisoned. That was _so _cute, by the way."

"You took care of her?" Princess asked Brick, her eyebrows raised. "My god, you _did_ turn sweet."

"Fuck you, Princess," Brick grumbled.

"Not making that mistake again, thanks," she grumbled back.

"How?" Blossom asked curiously. "How did you watch us?"

"Well, Bubbles actually caught me once. Some of those mind control devices were, you know, cameras," Sedusa replied. "And as for you, maybe you should've checked behind the door in your room, hm?"

"The keyhole. How original," Buttercup chuckled.

"Regardless, I saw _everything_," Sedusa continued. "And right here, in the comfort of my future home. I had to keep tabs and make sure you all stayed right on track. While I watched, I also had some, well, _control_ of most situations."

"You did the mind controlling?" Blossom asked.

"Yes, I did."

"I just built everything," Princess jumped. "I was busy keeping appearances, selling my weapons, and planning overthrows of big cities."

"Alright," Blossom accepted. "So what was in it for you, Sedusa?"

"Power, of course," Sedusa said, rolling her eyes. "Not exactly world domination, but just as sweet. If I got you here today, I would be granted the _best_ powers a person could possibly have."

"Really now?" Blossom sighed.

"Of course," Sedusa laughed. "I would be the most powerful woman on this earth, and I would have any and every privilege. Princess dear would be the general, whereas I would be the army of one. A force not one would reckon with."

"So Princess would be the face of evil, whereas you would be the fist," Blossom concluded.

"Yes," Princess and Sedusa answered together. Blossom looked at the others. Then she looked at Sedusa, and then at Princess. She turned back to Sedusa. She clicked her tongue.

"Tsk tsk, Sedusa. Isn't that a step down for you? To work under this young, wealthy woman like Princess?"

Some of others behind her broke into laughter. Blossom smiled, noticing a small vein beginning to pulse in Sedusa's forehead. A smile even fell upon Princess's lips.

"Really, though. You intend to work under the command of someone who learned to read looking at price tags at Tiffany's? What has gotten into you, Sedusa?"

The smile immediately fell from Princess's face. She threw a death glare right at Blossom. The others snickering grew louder and louder.

"So now that we know all of that information," Blossom continued. "What exactly was the bigger plan? The whole 'destroying us' plan?"

"Enough talk!" Princess shouted. She stood up on her platform, fists clenched. "They're here, Sedusa, let's do this!" Below, Blossom and the others leapt into battle positions, legs in stance, fists raised. Sedusa slowly stood up, and she pursed her ruby-red lips. The vein on her forehead did not stop pulsing, but she spoke with great control and poise.

"Hold a second, Princess," she said. "We will. But first—" she held up her forefinger. "Let me answer her question. Blossom, the bigger plan was to destroy you all, but first, we were to get you here on this day, just before the Chemical X in your blood expires. We were to get you all here – ready to fight, ready to know, ready to go home – and to tell you everything. We were to tell you our motives and to tell you our actions. And after we've told you everything, we were to beat you down until you were too bloody to go on."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Blossom taunted.

"This."

Sedusa grinned, and she curled one hand and brought it straight up. The platform below the heroes began to quake, and slithering black shadows rumbled over the edge towards them. Princess leapt back and pressed something on her belt, and metal shot at all angles around her. They rammed into the platform under her, and quickly, the platform broke into pieces, which immediately began to shape something else. They built around and around Princess, and within seconds, they built an armor of metal and dark red stone, complete with ray guns and a clear shield over a face. The heroes leapt in the air, backs together, facing all directions.

The battle began.

Blossom shot off after Sedusa, one leg tucked aside and the other aimed straight for the face. Sedusa flicked her hair and sent several locks hurtling after Blossom. Blossom dodged aside, and swung her leg again, smashing her foot into Sedusa'a jaw. Sedusa whirled to the side, wiping the blood dripping down her chin. She spun in the air just as Blossom zipped after her, and jammed one stiletto heel into Blossom's thigh.

"Agh!"

Blossom fought off the pain easily, and swiftly grabbed Sedusa's wrist and twisted back. She slammed Sedusa into a platform, and twisted Sedusa's arm into an excruciating position. Sedusa cried out, and writhed beneath Blossom. Then, Sedusa kinked her neck back, and sent all her snaky hair at Blossom's throat and squeezed. Blossom released her, and ripped at the locks around her neck, splitting hairs left and right. Sedusa rolled away and stood up. She snarled and made a strange movement with her hands. Blossom tore off the last hairs, and looked up at Sedusa. Sedusa weaved a strange, flaming magenta thing in the air, stretching here and there. She smiled and lifted her magical concoction. She spun it around her head like a lasso and snapped it in the air – a fiery, magical, magenta whip. Blossom leapt up at began dodging each crack of the whip, figuring out a way to get around it.

Princess aimed one stone missile at Brick, but he quickly shielded his face, and the missile smashed into his forearms, crumbling into a thousand pieces. Brick rocketed forward and whammed right into Princess, fists flying. He pummeled at Princess's armor, rock disintegrating into thick ruby red smoke. He laughed, enjoying the upper hand of the fight. He too caught up to notice, Princess jerked her knee up and rammed it right into his stomach. Brick immediately stopped, a sickening noise gurgling from his throat. Princess back away, and reloaded her guns.

"I am so sick of fighting with you," she grumbled. "This is why I dumped your ass in the first place!"

Brick gritted his teeth and glared at her.

"_You_ dumped _me_? Fuck you, I dumped you because you were a sleazy bitch," he roared. Princess snorted and aimed a gun right at him and fired.

Below, Boomer, Bubbles, Butch and Buttercup battled the lurking black masses. The masses grew and shrank, darted away, or fell upon them. The heroes kicked, punched, shot off eyebeams, screamed sonic waves, but the masses kept coming, blistering the heroes' skin on contact, burning right through the nerves. Buttercup backed into Butch, spinning around to push off the shadows. Boomer elbowed and stomped, and turned right into Bubbles, who was trying desperately to blast the masses away. Suddenly, she got an idea, and leapt into the air.

"Watch it, guys!" she yelled. Butch, Buttercup, and Boomer glanced up, confused. Bubbles wrung her hands together and licked her lips. Buttercup then realized what she was going to do, and grabbed Butch's and Boomer's wrist.

"Take cover!" she cried, and she dragged them off into the air away from the shadows.

Bubbles brought her hands to her face, and slowly cupped them over her mouth. Then she blew. She blew a shimmering, glasslike bubble, bigger, and bigger, and bigger, bigger than large minivan, and perfectly spherical. She quickly closed her hands together, and smiled.

"Sonic bubble blast."

She released the bubble, and it floated magnificently to the platform… and popped. The shadows blasted away, obliterating into the nothing from which they came. The platform was covered with thick, crimson debris, littered within an enormous crater. Up above, Bubbles giggled and looked back at a completely windswept and terror-struck Boomer and Butch, cowering behind an equally windswept but very proud Buttercup.

"Ain't she a kicker?" Buttercup laughed.

Sedusa slapped Blossom away with her magic whip, and whizzed around in the air. She looked below at the cratered platform and grimaced. She looked at Bubbles.

"You little—"

Sedusa tossed aside her whip, which disappeared right away, and she began to twiddle her fingers and move her hands. Right from the rock, she pulled something long, and slimy, with emerald green scales and an ominous toothy mouth at one end. She pulled out another, and then another, summoning an army of the most grotesque eel-like demons. One creature opened its mouth, revealing an endless funnel of razor-sharp teeth, oozing with bubbling saliva.

"Oh, this should be fun," Butch chortled. Buttercup, Boomer, and Bubbles dove right in for the kill, beating the creatures to smithereens. Buttercup snagged two at once and whipped them together, tying them into a perfect, bloody knot, squishing the creature's insides out of their mouths. Boomer stomped his foot onto one's tail and grabbed its slick head. He put one hand on each side of its mouth and pulled, ripping the jaw in half as easily as ripping a sheet of paper. Bubbles flipped several into the air, and zapped them into nothing. Butch rolled his eyes and swept his arms.

"Watch out below!" he called. He curled each hand almost into a fist, a single electric green light forming in each palm. They grew larger and larger, and Butch lifted them above his head. He laughed and crashed them together into a neon crackling orb. He tossed it into one hand, jumped in the air, and spiked it to the platform, the orb zooming down like a bolt of lightning. Buttercup, Bubbles, and Boomer rocketed up into the air, just as the orb struck one demo. Suddenly, all the demons one by one seized and convulsed, electrocuted by the powerful lightning. Butch cried out triumphantly. Buttercup turned to him and grinned, making Butch smile even wider.

"What is this?" Princess scowled, narrowly missing a series of eye beams delivered by Brick. Princess shrieked like an angry cat, and turned to Sedusa, who was still struggling with Blossom.

"Sedusa!" she screamed. She didn't wait for a response, and spiraled right in between Buttercup, Butch, Bubbles and Boomer, Brick zooming after her. Princess struck Boomer in the back of the head, sending him flying into Buttercup. Butch seethed and shot forward and punching upward, striking Princess hard with s tough upper cut. Bubbles zoomed around Princess and aimed one strong blow into the back of her helmeted head. Boomer and Buttercup recovered fast, and joined in the fight, pounding at Princess's rock armor.

A bit away, Brick spat out a mouthful blood, and slicked his grimy hair back out of his eyes. He looked away from the busy fighting of the others and saw Sedusa smack Blossom hard into the ground, blood spattering from her nose. Brick made a disgusted face, and then switched into defense mode. He took a deep breath, held it a second, and puffed out a ball of blazing fire. He tossed it in the air and puffed more fire from his mouth, spinning the ball as he blew. He ran out of air and the ball dropped back into his hands. He lifted the ball, the flames slowly darkening into a thick crust. He narrowed his eyes, ready to aim right at Sedusa.

"Hey, Sedusa!"

Sedusa whipped her head to him and raised her eyebrows. Brick grinned.

"Batter up!"

And he pitched the fireball right at her. Sedusa gasped and slashed into the air, creating a wall of blue light and striking the fireball right back at Brick. A few feet away, Blossom opened her sore, bruised eyes and saw the fireball shooting back at Brick. She cried out weakly.

"Brick!"

Brick simply shrug and swung his left arm, sending it right back at Sedusa. Sedusa huffed and slashed the ball back again. Blossom staggered off the ground and flew over a few yards away. She waved her hands at Brick.

"Over here!" she yelled. Brick gave her a strange look, and hit the fireball back at Sedusa. Blossom waved her arms again and made a desperate face at Brick. Sedusa whacked the fireball back at Brick. Brick noticed Blossom again and, against his better judgment, sent it after Blossom. Blossom geared up, hastily shaking her left arm and quickly calculating the best angle to aim, and then she smacked the fireball at Sedusa, several times the force and speed than before. Sedusa tried to hit it back, but the fireball crashed right into her, crushing her into the platform.

Blossom panicked. She zoomed over to her and evaporated the comet-like fireball into dust. Sedusa lay unconscious on the ground, her front and sides smoldered, and her hair completely burned away. Blossom grabbed her wrist and checked for a pulse – it was weak, but it was there. Blossom sighed with relief.

"She dead?" Brick asked, popping up behind her. Blossom shook her and looked at him. He nodded.

"Good."

"One down," Blossom said, standing up. She and brick looked over at the others, still battling with Princess, but Princess putting up quite the fight.

"What kind of armor is that?" Blossom asked, staring at the relatively undamaged Princess.

"Rock and metal?" Brick answered. "I don't know."

"I was asking for the material of the armor, not music genres, but okay," Blossom said. She eyed Brick and smiled. Brick stared at her a second… then laughed.

"Whoa. A joke," he said.

"I'm not totally uptight," Blossom smiled. "Now tell me – can any of us make water?"

"What? Why?"

"Just tell me."

"Boomer can make rain, I think, but why?"

"That's perfect," Blossom said. She turned to Brick. "Give him the word."

"Me?" Brick asked, flabbergasted. Blossom nodded. Brick stared at her once again. Then he smiled.

"Alright then. Boomer!"

Boomer tumbled out of the fight and turned to Brick. He looked at him questioningly.

"Make it rain, bro!" Brick called. Boomer shook his head and looked around. Brick called again. "Make it rain, Boomer. Make it rain!"

Boomer seemed to have caught on, and he shot several feet up above the fight, and made a grand movement with his arms. He raised them above him and clenched his fists. His entire body trembled, and out of nowhere, miniscule droplets of water swirled around him, growing and growing into a soft cloud. Then, he stopped, and the water hovered a moment, then fell.

Just as the water fell to the earth, Blossom rocketed up and took a deep, deep breath. Then, she blew out the coldest breeze, icier than an Antarctic wind. As the water fell through the icy wind, long drops froze on impact and became nail-like icicles. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of small but sharp icicles fell to Butch, Buttercup, Bubbles, and Princess fighting below. Brick, Blossom, and Boomer cried out.

"Butch!"

"Buttercup!"

"Bubbles!"

All three looked up and gasped. They zoomed away at all angles, leaving Princess flustered, struggling to reload her guns. She stopped and looked around, noticing they were gone.

"What the—"

Then… she looked up.

"NO!"

She turned around and covered her face, as the ice shards rained on her. She plunged to a small platform below and crashed into ground, her arms still covering her head. The icicles hailed down on her, slowly chipping away at her stone armor. The six heroes watched powerlessly until the armor was completely gone, and the icicles fell in less and less numbers until they were all gone. Princess lay motionless on the dirt, her arms even still covering her head.

Blossom looked at the others, all of them sharing faces of apprehension. She took a deep breath, and floated down to her, the others close behind. Blossom stopped by her head and knelt down. She gently nudged at Princess's arm. A soft moan sounded beneath Princess's face. Butch knelt down and gingerly rolled her over. Princess inhaled sharply and groaned again. She slowly opened her eyes, slowly rolling her eyes at each of them. She frowned and coughed weakly.

"I… hate you…"

She closed her eyes and passed out. Blossom checked her pulse, too, just to be sure. Afterwards, Blossom sighed, and collapsed onto the ground. Brick stood nearby and put both hand behind his head, closing his eyes and envisioning the previous events in his head. Bubbles knelt over, trying to catch her breath, as Boomer rubbed his aching. Buttercup closed her eyes tight, then opened them again. A exhaled a very shuddery breath.

"I'm… exhausted." She took a wavering step and stumbled, tipping dangerously over by the edge. Butch caught her and gently helped her sit down. He sat down next to her and began rubbing her shoulders.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Bubbles asked, standing straight, though wincing at sharp cut on her knee.

"What are we supposed to do with them?" Butch asked, gesturing towards Princess and Sedusa.

"Well," Blossom said with a shrug. "They're both out cold, but they should probably get to a hospital or something."

"That's great!" Brick exclaimed. "Now how do we get out?"

"Brick, I don't have all the answers," Blossom admitted, too tired to fight with him. But surprisingly, Brick smiled weakly and nodded.

"I know," he said. "None of us do."

"Hey, wait!" Boomer said suddenly. "Wha-what time is it?"

"_It's too late."_

All six of them turned around, looking for the eerie, singsong voice and –

-- They froze.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"_Hmm… much too late."_

Floating on a spiraling pink cloud, the darkest of all shadows, the sweetest of all temptations, the embodiment of all evil, was Him. Glistening green, cat-like eyes sat above a long hook nose, right above a spine-chilling smile that made even the coal-black hairs on his chin curl. He wore a red suit with puffy pink trim, held tight with a fine black belt over dark red skin. Around his shoulders lay a fluffy pink feather boa that trailed down his arms to his large lobster claws. He was a complete composition of incongruous sin: repulsive yet captivating, frightening yet fascinating. And he sat there, two bright pale streaks blazing from his eyes, aimed straight at the six heroes below.

None of them could move. They could only blink and they could only breathe. But they were frozen in place like sculptures, all staring wide-eyed at the grotesque creature on his cloud. Him giggled, two vocal tones, one low, one high, clashing together in one eerie chord. He flicked one claw casually to the side and all the pictures in the sky came to a halt.

"Let's check the time, shall we?"

He flicked his claw again, and every screen, every frame, switch to the same digital clock reading: 11:58:03 PM. 11:58:04 PM. 11:58:05 PM.

"Two minutes until we can wish you a 'happy birthday!'" Him exclaimed. "Ohh! I'm so excited! Make a wish?" Him giggled again, his deep undertones becoming more prominent, despite the higher, chilling register. "Oh, I'm sorry. You'll have to wait a minute. I know, I know, we're wasting time, but we can't spoil it, right?"

The six stayed there, helpless. Blossom felt words bubbling to her throat, but she could not speak. Tears welled up in Bubbles's eyes, slowly falling down her cheeks. Buttercup could feel the rage spiking through her nerves, and Butch, his hand still on Buttercup's shoulder, could only feel the heat burning through her skin. Thoughts raced through Boomer and Brick's heads, their breathing quickening as the clock's timer grew closer and closer.

11:59:13 PM. 11:59:14 PM.

"Ohhhh," Him moaned, sounding _oh so_ irritated. "Such long agonizing seconds… if only you had finished your little fight early, maybe you would have had more time to escape? Oh. Sorry, that wasn't an option, was it? Maybe you would've had time to do _something_ before the timer ran out. Hmm…"

11:59:46 PM. 11:59:47 PM.

"Oh! Oh! Let's count down! Ohhh! Ten… nine… eight… seven…"

Boomer's eye twitched; his best effort to fight back. Buttercup closed her eyes tight, hoping the clocks would disappear. Brick looked away, his eyes settling on the battered ground. Butch and Bubbles stared helplessly at the clocks, as Blossom looked up and awaited their fate.

"…three… two… one…"

12:00:00 AM.

Him blinked, and several of the heroes stumbled over, their bodies released into action. He continued to watch them, his eyes sparkling with delight. Buttercup scrambled up with a roar, ready to wring the ruby neck of Him until… she collapsed. Butch jumped up and caught her, but just barely. He slowly pushed her to her feet, but she felt… off. She felt much heavier than usual, and strangely enough, so did Butch. Both of them felt the heaviness of their bodies, as if several extra pounds clung to their limbs. Blossom slowly pushed herself off the ground, also noticing a difference in her weight. Brick rolled his head around on his neck, cracking several, painful kinks. Bubbles took step forward and stumbled. Boomer took a great, deep, staggering breath, realizing that the air was much harder to breathe than before.

Buttercup pushed herself up again, and jumped, attempting to zoom off after Him. But… she just jumped, landing back onto the ground with a thud, her knees buckling under her. Butch grabbed her waist and held her close, not willing to let her fall again. She struggled against him, but she proved much weaker. She did not take this lightly.

"What… what the fuck is this, Him?" she cried, her voice cracking.

Bubbles blink several times, harder and harder each time, focusing her vision straight at Him. She stopped. No eye beams shot from her eyes, no matter how hard she tried. More tears leaked down her face as she turned to Blossom.

"Blossom, I can't shoot lasers. I… I can't."

Blossom stared at her fists vaguely, in utter disbelief. Mouth hung loosely, she glanced at Brick, he furiously taking big breaths and exhaling them. Boomer spun around several times on spot, looking at his arms and legs curiously. He became more and more fearful with every spin. Butch clung to Buttercup, not willing to see what he no longer could do. Blossom looked back at her hands and gulped.

"Our powers…" she whispered. "They're… they're gone."

"Tsk… tsk… tsk…" Him clicked his tongue. He stared at them, and put on his best impression of sympathy. "I'm _so _sorry. But, at _least_ you're still alive… for now."

"What's going on, Him?" Brick demanded, taking a few shaky steps forward. "What have you… what happened to…how?"

"Your time as super heroes is over," Him said simply. "You're just humans, now. Powerless, defenseless, average humans."

"How?" Brick demanded again.

"Our thirty days are up," Blossom said blankly. She turned to Brick with a face so expressionless, he actually felt a tinge of terror. "I'm sorry."

"Well," Him cooed. "You could thank these two beings here for failing to make a chemical that would, you know, last."

Without taking his eyes off the heroes, he lifted both his claws and summoned two small platforms from the air. On one platform lay a person with tussled black and gray hair and a dirty white lab coat, sprawled out with his face on the ground. On the other platform, lay a creature covered in a tattered purple cape, a striped helmet, cracked, covered a now exposed brain. It was the Professor and Mojo Jojo.

"No!" Bubbles choked. She stumbled forward and fell, falling to her knees pathetically. She looked back up, her eyes dripping with tears. "What did you do to them?"

"Oh, they'll be fine," Him assured. "They're not dead! Cross my heart!" He made an 'X' over his chest, then flicked his claw casually again. The platforms shot out of sight. "But as for you kiddies…"

"What's going _on_?" Brick repeated, his hands curled up into very tight fists, holding all of his anger.

"Where should I start?" Him asked himself, crossing on leg over the other, and then looking up in the air and tapping his cheek overdramatically.

"The beginning would be nice," Brick grumbled. He gingerly knelt down, his eyes targeting Him. Blossom nearby stared blankly to the side. Butch continued to hold Buttercup, the two keeping each other stable. Bubbles sat near Boomer, who stood with his arms across his chest and his eyes to the ground, deep in thought.

"Well, I suppose you deserve to know everything," Him said. "But maybe you could tell me what you already know? Saves precious time, right?"

"Princess and Sedusa were your accomplices," Blossom answered suddenly. The others all turned to her. Him raised an eyebrow and smiled. Blossom slowly looked up, the blank expression still on her face. "And you promised them power if they delivered us to you."

"How ever did you figure that one out?" Him asked, still smiling.

"They told us," Blossom said emptily. "They told us their plan, and they told us their reward. All that leaves is why we're here and what you did yourself." She turned to Him. "So why are we here, Him? And what did you do until we got here?"

"Well, let me answer the second one first, okay? The first one is a little too juicy to reveal just yet," Him looked at Sedusa's and Princess's bodies. He scowled and made a quick move with his hands. The bodies disappeared. "I hate distractions. Anyways, what I did until you arrived… hmm…"

He sat quietly, relishing in the suspense. Brick seethed, feeling very out of control of the situation. The rest waited silently – what choice but to wait? Him clapped his claws together.

"I waited."

Him hooted with laughter, as if he had said the funniest joke on the planet. As for the heroes -- silence. They stared at him, various looks of frustration and exasperation. Brick licked his lips, biting back foul words to say.

"You waited," he repeated slowly.

"Yes, yes," Him said happily. "Princess went on her cute little tirade, wreaking havoc all over the place, and Sedusa watched everything unfurl, informing me when necessary and keeping track of progress. I just sat around and waited, enjoying your final days, shivering with anticipation for your arrival."

Him giggled, whipping back his feather boa. Bubbles shuddered, anxiety skittering along her spine. Brick wiped a layer of sweat off his forehead and sighed. Blossom continued to stare at Him, though some emotion was beginning to fall back on her face. She winced and took a deep breath.

"What do you want with us?" she asked quietly.

"That's an easy one, Blossom," Him said, calming himself down. "But it goes along with why you're here."

"Gee, I wonder if it has anything to do with destroying us?" Blossom said. Brick glanced over at her, and he noticed a strange twinkling in her eyes. He smiled. Blossom flicked her hair back and grimaced. Meanwhile, Him fluttered his eyelashes.

"Of course," he said. "But you see, I couldn't just go to earth and kill you, or summon you and kill you _here_. This took a lot more planning this time than you would ever imagine. See, I had to get you all here at a certain time, in a certain way, and under a certain impression."

"What might that be?" Brick asked.

"Well," Him continued. "I needed you all to be here when you, heh, lost your powers. And I needed you to come here exhausted and frustrated. And, I believe Sedusa said it the best, I needed you 'ready to fight, ready to know, and ready to go home.' In order for my plan to work, you needed to be in the right state of mind.

"You don't think it was just a coincidence the way everything came out, do you? You have thirty days left to live, and suddenly, all these strange things are happening. Then you are all separated from each other, and then paired off with your worst enemies (besides myself of course). Then you each must go through all these obstacles and missions and _whatever_, and surprisingly, you all succeed. Then, on the last day, you all happen to make it to my cozy lair, hours before your time is up. The timing was awfully brilliant, don't you think?"

"You set us up," Blossom said. The others turned to Blossom, then to Him, all confused. Blossom pushed herself up and stood tall. Her eyes narrowed.

"You set us up," she said. "You made all that happen. You, with Princess and Sedusa at your side, set up this stupid chase to get us all here. You had Sedusa send the spiders, you had Princess cause trouble, you probably even had the Professor and Mojo rip us all apart, right?"

"Hmmm, I didn't even mention that!" Him exclaimed.

"Mind control devices, right? In Professor and Mojo's brains. It was easier to control them and have them convince us to do this in the first place. And you paired us off, counterpart to counterpart, to stir up more trouble, since we were enemies. Then you sent us on all these tasks, knowing full well we would succeed, probably guiding us, even, because it would get us here in the end, at the right time. You were wasting our time, screwing with our minds, and putting us in danger until the right moment," the words spilled from Blossom, as if she had known it all along. The others stared at her now, everything making more sense as she spoke. Blossom's face twisted in puzzlement, and she looked back at Him.

"But why?" she questioned.

"Why," Him sighed grandly, and grinned, baring his sharp, glistening teeth. "Why, indeed. First, you are correct about the Professor and Mojo. I'm sure you all heard the chimp trying to remove his device? He was turned more troublesome than I needed. And it was cute pairing you all up! I hoped you'd clash a little more, though. I forgot that opposites attract. Right Buttercup? Butch?"

Buttercup and Butch had been eerily quiet for a while now, and the others turned to them. Buttercup did not look at the others, but tilted her head up to Him.

"Big mistake, huh?" she sneered. Butch chuckled to himself.

"A teensy one, really," Him corrected. His tone suddenly changed. "It actually works in my favor even more now."

Buttercup looked at him strangely, when Butch carefully let her go. He spoke.

"Hey, you know, why did you drag us into this to begin with?" he asked. "Us as in me, Brick, and Boomer. What the hell do we have to do with the girls?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Him said delightfully, jumping back into his original tone. "Well, besides keeping appearances, you were just pawns! As Blossom said, I threw you in to cause trouble. Give the girls some hell before they disappeared. If I informed you beforehand, things might not have worked as well."

"You just used us?" Boomer cried, outraged. "You put us through all this bullshit for the hell of it? And what appearances are you trying to keep, anyway?"

"Things just worked out better with you all involved together. I could use more sources to guide the girls," Him said carefully. He glanced at Blossom. "Remember, I did steer you in the right direction occasionally. If you ran off-schedule, I sometimes had to tweak things. Bubbles, did you happen to figure out where that squirrel came from? Or how about the stone wall, Buttercup? Or for all of you, who sent that last message to get to North Townsville? Of course it was all me! You're not _that_ lucky."

"That's bullshit!" Boomer exclaimed. "And you're changing the subject!"

All of a sudden, smoke rushed from beneath Him's platform, and his face twisted into demonic rage, his body growing several times, and his eyes flushing blood red.

"_I WAS TRYING TO GET RID OF YOU USELESS FOOLS, YOU FOOLS WHO HAVE BEEN AS MUCH TROUBLE AS THOSE INFURIATING GIRLS!"_

Him snorted billowing, black smoke from his nostrils, then abruptly, snapped back into composure, the air magically clear, and his body back to his normal size. There was a dreadfully long silence, before Blossom sighed and stepped forward.

"So now that we're all here, right on time, why are we here?"

"Before I answer that," Him said, raising a claw. "I have to ask you all one question: how do you feel?"

"Are you serious?!" Buttercup screamed. Butch turned to grabbed her, but she swatted him away and made a dash closer to Him. "How do we _feel?!_ We're pissed! We're tired! We're sick of your shit! And we all want to kick your ass, but…" she stopped. She shook violently, not finishing her sentence.

"You are exactly the way I wanted you when you got here," Him said finally. "Powerless. You're all powerless. After all this time, winning battles, solving mysteries, and saving lives, you want it all to end, all of it to be done… but you can't finish it. You don't have the _power_ anymore."

Buttercup wavered again, and Butch ran to her side, holding her in his arms once more. The others rushed over close together, glaring at Him from their platform several few below. Him shrugged his shoulders, and leaned forward. His eyes glittered dangerously.

"You want it all to be over now, don't you?" he asked, his voice barely audible. "But you can't escape, can you?"

Him spread his arms wide, and snapped his arms down. Suddenly, the platform all around the heroes crumbled, chunks of rock and specks of dust plummeting into the abyss below. The six crushed themselves together, back to back, fear now bursting through all of them. Blossom shuffled some rocks off the edge, only inches away from her feet. She grabbed onto Buttercup and Brick, clinging for dear life.

"I brought you all here…" Him started leisurely. "…to give you the choice to finish the adventure. You may stand there, cramped on hunk of rock, or step into the unknown below."

"You want us to kill ourselves?" Butch yelled. The others looked at Him, completely shocked.

"That's what you brought us here for?" Blossom demanded. "You brought us here to jump off this platform and kill ourselves."

"What else can you possibly do?" Him asked quietly, his excitement so overwhelming, he could barely choke out words. He stepped off his ledge, and his foot sank into a deep red cloud, his body following shortly. His cloud swirled around the heroes, engulfing them.

Blossom heard his voice, quiet, like a voice whispering in her ear. She held her face cold and poised.

_"The mystery is still unsolved, isn't it? What would have become of you if all of this didn't happen? What if you lost your powers at school? On a job? Who knows what else you lost. Perhaps you aren't as clever anymore? Perhaps not as wise? Maybe you're not as smart as you used to be. Can you bare the thought of being a brainless, unsophisticated fool? Jump. Jump while you still have your wits."_

Blossom shook her head, her hair fanning around her furiously, swishing the cloud away. She looked around, wondering if the others had heard Him speak, but the others seemed too distracted. Brick glanced at Blossom, a lock of hair gliding past his neck. Then, he, too, heard Him's voice.

_"Blossom is such a clever girl. Clever, beautiful, classy: the prime example of a leader. How do you compare? A young man, as intelligent, as charismatic, as refined as she, but not nearly as successful. You barely contributed anything to your mission. You failed. You are a failure, especially compared to her. Where is your pride? Your dignity Have you any left? Surely you do. Why not take what you still have, and jump? Jump, and die with what little pride you still have." _

Brick gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt his face flush with fury, fury with Him, fury with Blossom, fury with the situation, and above all, fury with himself.

Boomer felt his brother's skin burn, and he looked over at Brick, who was clearly repressing his rage. Boomer gulped, not liking Brick's expression, and definitely not liking his toes hanging over the edge. He glanced down and wiggled back. He felt a squeeze in his right hand, and he turned to Bubbles, tears still rushing from her eyes and her face twisted in anguish.

_"The only beacon of optimism in your cold, pessimistic world,"_ Him's voice hissed into his ear. _"Probably the best, and only friend, in your lonely life, yes? Oh, imagine the adventures you could've had. Imagine the adventures you _did_ have. A shame that you spent most of it doing nothing, observing everything around you but yourself. Do you know anything about yourself? Do you know anything about life? What a waste. A waste of time, and a waste of life. Why are you still around? Jump. Finish your bitter, meaningless existence."_

Boomer faltered, whizzing through the words echoing in his head. He felt his lip quiver as he realized – he was right. He was a waste. He was cold, he was pessimistic, and was nothing but frowns for this entire journey. And what about Bubbles? How callous was he to her? She didn't deserve it. What was wrong with him? But that was the problem. Boomer never thought about himself, really. He thought about everything else _but_ himself. Maybe he should just… jump.

Bubbles noticed Boomer's foot slide forward a little. She tightened her grip on his hand and pulled back, fearful to what he might be thinking.

_"You can't save him."_

Bubbles jumped, her shoulder brushing against Butch's.

_"What can you save now, Bubbles? What can you do now that you're powerless? You can't brighten any more days. You can save anymore lives. You can't protect anymore creatures, anymore family members, or anymore friends. What can you do now? Be a naïve, hackneyed animal rights activist? You're nothing special anymore, Bubbles. You – are – powerless. Jump. Why not save yourself the pain of seeing things you can't change? Jump. You can't help anyone anymore. Jump."_

Bubbles sobbed, frantically fighting the agonizing words burning through her brain. He was wrong. He had to be! There was so much else she can do. There was so much more out there. She _was_ special! She was…

Butch had both arms wrapped around Buttercup, using all his strength to hold her up. She seemed to be getting more fatigued, obviously overwhelmed. He clung tight, contemplating how in the world could they get out of this.

_"What has gotten into you?" _

Butch closed his eyes, trying to block out the insinuating hiss of Him.

_"A helpless puppy dog, in love with ferocious, finicky feline. What happened to the careless, fun-loving playboy from before? How could you let her mean anything to you? How could you let anyone but yourself mean anything to you? What happened to your priorities? You have no strength left. You have no power left. You have nothing left but her, and what will happen when she leaves? You poor, hopeless little boy, running aimlessly through life, no longer caring what happens to you. Think about yourself for once. Think about Butch, the happy young boy you're putting aside for this. Why not do yourself a favor and jump? Jump, just to be yourself again. Make one last decision for yourself and jump." _

Butch held Buttercup tighter, unwilling to let her go, and unwilling to let himself go. If he didn't help her, they'd both go, and he was not going to let that happen. _Fuck you,_ Butch cried out in his head. _Fuck you, Him._

Buttercup's eyes drooped as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Her thoughts were short and unfinished, her mind too exhausted to think properly. Him's cloud brushed against her face, and she inhaled sharply.

_"All that fighting is finally taking a toll on you, isn't it, Buttercup? Too tired to go on, aren't you? That's a shame, especially for that thing, growing in the pit of your stomach; the physical manifestation of silly things like love and devotion…"_

Buttercup's eyes shot open, a fresh moment of clarity. She grabbed at her stomach and gagged.

_"That's right. Stupid girl, letting her emotions take over, and making profound mistakes. And now you can't fix them. You're too weak to go on. You've failed yourself. You've failed yourself, and you failed that… manifestation. What could you possibly do for it now? End it. End it before it really begins. End it before you hurt it and before you hurt yourself. Jump, ." _

"NO!"

Buttercup screamed, louder than ever before, as she grasped her stomach mournfully. The red cloud swirled back into one puff and morphed back into Him. He looked at Buttercup, terrified. She screamed again.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Him staggered back onto his own platform, clawing at his throat, sickening sounds erupting from his mouth. Blossom glanced at Buttercup, and then at Him, figuring out what was going on. Buttercup sobbed tremendously, and she fought her way out of Butch's arms. She growled and took one step off the platform…

_WHAM!_

Buttercup zoomed after Him, leaving a sea green trail behind her. She slammed one single fist into Him's face, and he rolled away, stunned. The others stood on the platform watching her, not believing what they were seeing. Buttercup knelt near Him, panting and still holding her stomach.

"Buttercup!" Butch whispered. Buttercup looked at him, as if demanding "_what?"_ Then… she blinked. She looked at herself, then at Him, and then at the others. She did again. She laughed. She crawled over to him and rolled him over. He grumbled sickly and looked up at her.

"I thought we lost our powers, Him," Buttercup said. Him coughed.

"I looked away," was all he could muster.

Buttercup stood up and looked at the others. They remained hooked to their spots, too shocked to move. Buttercup smiled.

"Please, can we kick his ass like I said?"

The others carefully leapt into the air, and to their great surprise, they floated. Butch and Brick started chuckling, it slowly growing into joyful laughter. Bubbles grinned and looked at Buttercup. Blossom beamed.

"Yes, Buttercup, we can."

Ignoring the objective cries from Him, all six of them dove forward and began beating the life out of him. Six strong, angry, and powerful beings pounded fist and foot into Him, punching his chest, jabbing his jaw, kicking his knees, never giving him a chance to breathe.

After only seconds, Buttercup grabbed Him and smashed him into his platform, pushing aside the others to let him speak. He blubbered pathetically, blood spluttering from his mouth.

"I… yo--…"

"I can't hear you, Him!" Boomer sneered.

"You… you…" Him pushed himself up magnificently and spat.

"GO!"

Suddenly, the six heroes whooshed through a lightning fast cyclone, spinning faster and faster. Before they could even blink, they spun and fell onto… grass. The cool night wind flooded over them, and the moonlight shining brightly on their warm skin. Each of them inhaled the fresh air, barely realizing they were no longer in Him's lair. Blossom stood up shakily, shivering a little from the wind. She looked around, and immediately spotted the limp bodies of Princess, Sedusa, Mojo Jojo, and the Professor.

"Where are we?" Bubbles asked, rubbing her eyes. Brick stood up and took a look around himself. Boomer followed suit, and leaned over to help Bubbles up.

"I think we're in the Townsville Park," Brick answered, noticing the city bank a few yards away, and the famous duck pond nearby. Butch grabbed Buttercup and helped her on her feet, and she leaned against him sleepily.

"We're home?" she asked. Butch looked at the others. Brick, Blossom, Bubbles, and Boomer took one last look around, and turned back to him, all nodding simultaneously.

"Yeah, we're home," Butch answered with a smile. Buttercup chuckled.

"Good."

Then, she passed out. Butch shook her slightly, hoping she was just asleep, but she snored quietly. He shook his head and rubbed her back.

"_You…"_

He and the others looked up, and watched as a small red cloud blew up like a feathery balloon. From the center, Him's battered face faded into focus, blood dripping from his fangs, his eyes tiny and swollen.

"You idiots! You were supposed to believe me! You were supposed fall and destroy yourselves! One day, ONE DAY – I will get you. Just… wait…"

And then he faded back into the darkness, his cloud swirling into nothing like water down a drain.

"He won't bother us anymore," Boomer said. "Not up here."

"The Professor doesn't look so good," Bubbles said, hurrying over to the Professor. She knelt down and took his pulse. She sighed. "He's still alive though."

"Let's go home," Brick commanded. "Boomer, Bubbles – take Mojo and the Professor to the Utonium's. Butch, take Buttercup there, too. Blossom and I will join you after we drop off some garbage at the prison."

"Good idea," Blossom said to Brick, a proud smile on her face. "I couldn't have said it better myself."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"So, the Chemical X _didn't_ expire after thirty days," Bubbles stated, stirring some sugar into her cup of tea. It was afternoon, a day or two after they returned home. The spring sun shone brightly through the open windows onto the table, where sat the six heroes, sipping tea and coffee and nibbling on cake. Blossom and Brick sat at each respective head of the table, with Bubbles and Boomer on one side, and Butch and Buttercup on the other. They were all back in their original clothes before they left, their shirts and pants a little looser than before. They were bandaged up, a bruise or wound here and there, and they were well-rested, especially Buttercup. They decided to have a small celebration, to commemorate both surviving that catastrophe and the girls' 21st birthday.

"No, of course not!" The Professor said, rubbing his head gingerly where the mind control device once was. He leaned against the kitchen counter and took a sip of coffee.

"I can't believe I convinced you it would," he said. "That's so absurd. Chemical X doesn't expire, not if it's in your blood, and even so, the timing didn't even make sense."

"I _told _you," Blossom teased, pointing a finger at Brick. Brick rolled his eyes and rested his head on his hand. Blossom smiled warmly and shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways, Professor, it wasn't you that did it. It was Him. And we believed you because he made you look so upset about it."

"We'd do anything for you, Professor," Bubbles added.

"Thank you," Professor said, nodding his head. "Oh, but tell me, Buttercup, what exactly happened that made you figure out you were okay?"

"She made him choke on his words, that's what happened!" Butch answered, laughing boisterously. Buttercup clicked her tongue.

"Just telekinesis," she corrected. She sighed. "After this long, I finally know what my special power is."

"Are you sure it's your power?" The Professor said, raising an eyebrow. Buttercup looked at him knowingly, and but did not reply right away.

"I hope it is," she said finally. Butch looked at her a second, wondering what she was talking about.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he demanded. The same thought had crossed the others' minds. But Buttercup brushed them off with a scoff.

"It could've been one of the super-strength moments that they talk about. Like how little kids lift cars to save their parents, like when they're in danger? Professor and I talked about it earlier, right?" She eyed Professor. He nodded and fumbled at his coffee cup.

"So how did Him trick us down there?" Bubbles asked, behind on some of the previous discussions amongst the others.

"Well, from what you've all told me," Professor started. "First, using some dark power that he must possess, Him froze you, so you were unable to react to his appearance. Then right after he froze you, he found a way to disable your powers. It was probably easier if you were all expecting it. But it seems to me, after he convinced you all that you lost your powers, he let his guard down. That was why Buttercup was able to attack him, even though she thought she was powerless."

"How could he do that, though?" Boomer asked. "How does he have those powers?"

"You must remember that you were in his lair, and in his lair, you play by his rules," Professor explained. "He has more power in his domain. And he cannot take anyone into his lair, hence why he made his plan the way he did. You have to enter it yourself, which might require deceit and trickery, which is how you six got in. Sedusa and Princess willingly entered his lair, and I believe they brought us in there, since Him could not himself."

"So Buttercup's impulsiveness was what saved us," Blossom said reproachfully. She eyed Buttercup. Buttercup raised her eyebrows and her lip started to curl.

"Yeah, what do you gotta say about it, huh?" she demanded, crossing her arms. Blossom sighed, and then smiled.

"It's not the first time it happened," Blossom said. "I'm thankful it did."

Buttercup's face softened and she chuckled. She muttered a thanks and looked back at the Professor.

"So all of this, then," Brick began, looked around at all of them. "Him set us up, he made us go through all this shit, all for nothing, right?"

"One. Big. Mindfuck," Buttercup spat. The others burst into laughter, whether they found it funny or not.

"I guess I would say that," Professor chucked. "But all of this did not happen for nothing. Him wanted to destroy you, and he did it the best way he thought he could. He weakened you, he brainwashed you, and he got you to do exactly what he wanted. The only problem is that he underestimated the strength of you. All of you. He tested your will, and did a fantastic job at it, but in the end, he did not succeed. You are all much stronger than he thought."

There was short silence, each of them soaking in the Professor's words. The past month truly was quite the test for all of them. They all pushed themselves, going above and beyond their limits. They each had new thoughts, feelings, and appreciations for everything, and they could barely voice their new ideas. The six of them sitting cheerfully at the table should demonstrate how things were now, and how they would continue to be.

"Where's Mojo?" Bubbles asked, glancing around the room.

"He's in the living room," Professor replied. "He wasn't in a celebratory mood."

"I don't see why not," Bubbles said dejectedly. Boomer shook his head.

"He's just Mojo Jojo," he shrugged. Bubbles agreed with a small sigh.

"So what now then?" Brick asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair.

"I totally have finals in like two weeks," Blossom said, suddenly anxious. She grasped her coffee cup nervously.

"I do, too, Blossom," Bubbles said. "Maybe if you explained what happened? That's what I'm going to do. I'm sure they'll understand."

"It's Harvard," Blossom moaned. "Oh my God, they're gonna demote me…"

"I doubt that," Brick said with a smile. "Do you want me to talk to Guerelli? I'm sure he could pull a few strings…"

"No!" Blossom said curtly. "Thanks, but no."

"Well, I gotta go back to Chicago anyway," Brick said. "I'm sure there's still a big mess I gotta help clean up."

"I'm going back to New York," Buttercup said. "I… I gotta get back to work."

"Really?" Butch asked, slightly dejected. Buttercup smirked.

"We'll talk later. How about you Boomer? Are you doing anything with oh-so exciting life?"

Boomer looked at Buttercup awkwardly. They had never spoken before, and all over again, he felt like he did on the first day of the mission with Bubbles.

"Um, I don't… know?" Boomer looked away, and noticed little Boris sneaking into the kitchen. The Professor followed Boomer's gaze, and then after laying his eyes on the cat, he chuckled.

"Sorry about Boris, Bubbles," he said. "I was taking care of him, but when I couldn't, I guess he just to take care of himself. He tore up that big back of cat food, and my lab smells like a litter box."

Bubbles laughed as Boris leapt back on her lap, rubbing his face against her arm. She pet him and smiled.

"He seems all right," she said. "I think we all are."

"I think it's about time we head out, though," Buttercup said, scooting her chair out and standing up. Butch stood up, too, shortly followed by the others. He looked over at Brick and Boomer and beckoned them.

"We gotta say 'bye' to him," he told them, gesturing over to the living room. The other two nodded, Boomer rubbing his neck nervously. Buttercup stepped over to her sisters, who moved over to the Professor, Boris lurking at their heels.

The boys stepped into the living room, and spotted Mojo sitting in an armchair, holding a cup of tea and staring moodily out the window. Brick walked ahead of his brothers, and slowly leaned on the top of the chair. He peeked over and smiled. Boomer and Butch moved to each side of the chair, nosing close, but giving Mojo his space. If the boys learned anything about their creator, it was that he had a very big personal bubble.

"Hey, pops," Brick said. "How are you?"

"Mrr…" Mojo Jojo grumbled, wrinkling his nose.

"It wasn't your fault, man," Butch said with a frown. "Him's a bitch, we all know that."

"You're not a fool," Boomer assured carefully. Mojo sighed heavily and handed Boomer his tea. Boomer placed the tea on the side table, and looked back over at Mojo. The aged chimp rested each furry arm on the armrests, and he smacked his lips before he spoke.

"I am not one to say sorry. That is to say, I rarely ever utter an apology. But at this moment, meaning this exact whim and second, I suppose that I guess I have to mutter the words… 'I'm sorry.' If I was, well, in my right mind, meaning having control of my own brain processes, not some cross-dressing, Rocky Horror masquerader, then I would not put you into any danger. You are still my… my boys."

Buttercup stifled a laugh from the doorway, as she, Blossom, Bubbles, and the Professor watched the sentimental moment from the kitchen. Blossom smacked Buttercup on the arm lightly, and the Professor dragged the girls away, realizing they had seen enough.

"Alright, well," Butch began, standing up. "We're gonna head out now, and um, go our separate ways… I guess." He looked at Brick and Boomer. The frowned, and Boomer rubbed his neck again.

"Do keep in touch," Mojo said. "You've been doing a terrible job with that."

"Thanks, pops," Brick said, smiling a little.

"Father's day is coming up in a few months anyway!" Boomer exclaimed.

"Yeah, we'll see you then!" Butch agreed.

Mojo Jojo hopped off the chair and ambled over to the door. He opened the door, and stepped out. He grabbed the doorknob and turned around. He looked at the boys, his gloomy expression still set on his face. Then, he smiled. He gave them a short nod, and left. After a rather uncomfortable silence, Butch spoke.

"Fuck, we suck as sons, guys," he admitted. Boomer sighed.

"Yeah, we do."

"When's the last time we celebrated Father's Day with him?" Brick asked.

"Shit, I don't know… there was that one time with Him and Mojo duking it out…" Butch remembered vaguely.

"Him's a shitty parent, I'd rather not talk about him," Boomer snapped. Brick and Butch nodded in agreement.

"Hey!" Buttercup skipped over to Butch and pulled him aside. "We gotta talk before I go, though, okay?"

"Now girls, you will call at least once a week, right?" Professor reminded, realigning his glasses on his nose. He turned to Bubbles. "And I expect some visits from you every now and then."

"Of course, Professor!" Bubbles said happily. "I'd be glad to."

"I'll probably visit after school ends this year," Blossom said. "There's just so much stuff I have to do, before than, but I'll try to call."

"Buttercup?" Professor called sternly. Buttercup huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Professor, I'll keep in touch."

"I especially want to keep up to date with you," Professor added.

"Of course."

"Everything."

"Everything."

"What?" Butch turned to Buttercup. She shook her head and held up her finger. The Professor looked around at his girls and smiled warmly.

"I love you, girls."

At those words, the girls had no choice but to embrace him, making the boys even more uncomfortable than before. Buttercup noticed them, and let go of the Professor. She laughed.

"Don't worry. It's not like we didn't intrude on your family moment," she said. Bubbles turned around, his ponytail whipping to the side.

"You're like family now anyway," she said with a shrug.

Butch's eyebrows fluttered, as Brick made a strange face and Boomer started scratching at something on his arm. Bubbles looked at her sisters, wondering if she had said something wrong. Buttercup made a noise.

"Don't get all mushy, guys. It's just family shit," she spat. She turned around and gazed at the Professor. "I promise I'll keep in touch. I'll… I'll need it." She turned back to Butch and dragged him out, giving a quick nod to Brick and Boomer. Butch glanced at his brothers and waved.

After a few more farewells to the Professor, Blossom and Bubbles hurried outside, followed shortly by Bubbles and Boomer. Butch and Buttercup stood by the corner of the house, Buttercup speaking very fast, very quietly. Brick and Blossom stepped over to the driveway, as Bubbles and Boomer stayed by the front door. Boomer ran a hand through his hair and looked at Bubbles.

"What… What are you doing this summer?" he stammered. Bubbles gave him a funny look.

"Nothing, really. I was thinking about staying with the Professor for a little while, but… nothing. Why?"

"I'm going to, um, Africa. I planned it a couple months ago, and I was just gonna go by myself. But maybe, if you had the time, and if you weren't too busy, and after you visited the Professor, maybe you could—"

"Go with you?" Bubbles finished excitedly. She squealed. "I'd love to! Africa? Oh my gosh! We can see lions and elephants and—"

"I figured you'd like, wanna go," Boomer said with a smile. Bubbles made another face.

"Why are you acting weird?" she asked. "We totally just spent the past month wandering around on an island, saving animals, haven't you gotten used to me yet?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Boomer looked away bashfully. "You don't have to go. You have a choice. I don't know if you'd want to waste your summer with, well, me."

Bubbles chortled, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Boomer hugged back very awkwardly, realizing he'd never really been properly hugged before. She gave him a quick peck on the check, and he felt all the blood rush to his face. He looked away as she let go and continued smiling at him.

"I'd love to go Africa with you."

Boomer looked up at her, and smiled weakly.

"So Harvard, is it?" Brick said, folding his arms across his chest.

"So the mafia, is it?" Blossom said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's my job," Brick said proudly. "And even after all this, I'm not going to fall over myself and change."

"I didn't ask you to," Blossom snapped defensively. "I can deal with you just the way you are – egotistical, hot-headed, but still a good leader."

"Well, I can deal with you, too," Brick agreed. "Stuck-up, prissy, but an even better leader." He looked at her expectantly, but expecting what, he didn't know. Blossom eyed him, but smiled anyway.

"I'm sorry that I was, well, bitchy, for lack of better term," she apologized. "I don't think… I don't think I do well under stress. And that was a stressful thirty days."

"Well, I don't like people showing me up, so I probably wasn't too good myself," Brick admitted. He chuckled. "That was compliment by the way."

"I showed you up?"

"Don't rub it in."

"I won't," Blossom said, holding up a handing. Her face softened. "I appreciate it. You really are a good leader, too, and you did your fair share of helping out. So, thank you. And, thank you for, you know, taking care of me when I needed it."

"Yeah, no problem," Brick said. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced at a nearby bush, suddenly fascinated. Blossom looked over, too, waiting for something else to say. Brick sighed.

"I'm sorry, and thank you, too," he muttered. He snorted and looked back at Blossom. Blossom burst into laughter and Brick joined in, despite himself. "And that's really all you're going to get from me. I'm sick of putting aside my pride with you, dammit."

Blossom shook her head and held out her hand. Brick looked at a second, then grabbed it. They shook hands.

"Shoot me a letter or something sometime. Or call. I don't know. It's be nice to hear from you occasionally," Blossom said.

"Yeah, you, too," Brick nodded.

Buttercup brushed her bangs out of her face and stared into Butch's eyes. He smiled at her, his eyes drooping.

"So where are you going after this?" Buttercup asked nonchalantly. Butch picked at a nonexistent fuzz in her hair.

"Oh, I was thinking about hanging out in New York, you know? Causing mayhem and shit. Got someone out there I'd like to see," he replied, grinning. Buttercup laughed uneasily.

"Ohh, really? That's… that's great."

"What? You don't want me to see you? Fuck that shit, aren't we like, dating or something now?" Butch questioned, shrugging his shoulders. He slipped an arm around his waist. Buttercup sighed and grabbed his hand.

"I do want to see you again, and yeah, I'd say we're dating, sure, but um, there's a small problem. A really small one… right now…"

"There isn't someone out there in New York that I gotta beat down is there?" Butch joked. Buttercup shook her head, but stared at him, her expression dropping. Her eyes were wide, even fearful. Butch narrowed his eyes, concerned.

"I'm well, I'm not taken," Buttercup answered slowly. "But, I guess you can say I'm… not… alone?"

"What are you talking about—"

Buttercup shoved Butch's hand on her stomach and stared at him. Butch looked at her, then at his hand, then back at her. Then, he understood. He leapt back.

"WHAT?!"

Blossom, Brick, Bubbles, and Boomer all turned around curiously. Butch started stammering, and Buttercup looked at him exasperated, stuck for words to say.

"I thought—But we—How could you—"

"Fuck you! You helped!" Buttercup cried.

"What's going on, Buttercup?" Bubbles asked. Buttercup put her hand on her forehead and frowned.

"Nothing, Bubbles!" she called out. "Nothing, really, yet…"

"But I'm not—I didn't mean—What are gonna do?—I mean—"

Buttercup grabbed him and pulled him forward. She kissed him, both hands on his face, her lips pressed against his. His shoulders lowered a bit, fighting the urge to be outraged and to melt at the same time. Buttercup pulled back.

"Butch, it saved our lives. Him tried to fuck with me about it, but instead of hurting me, it made me fight back. I fought back because of this." She placed a hand on her belly. "Professor said that the telekinesis might not have even been mine because of this. I'm sorry, but… I'm okay with it."

"Okay with what?" Blossom asked, totally lost. Butch gazed at Buttercup, his thoughts clear on his face. His face began to soften, his lips loosening, and his eyes brightening. Buttercup smiled, hoping for the right answer. Butch's shoulders sank.

"Sea green," he said quietly. "That wasn't your color."

"No, it wasn't," Buttercup chuckled.

"It's a pretty color," Butch said, a smile growing on his face. "A really pretty color."

"Beautiful," Buttercup added.

"More than beautiful," Butch corrected.

"You'll stick with us then?" Buttercup asked.

"Yeah," Butch replied, his smile wide. "All the way, if I have to."

Buttercup laughed and leapt on him, holding him around his neck. He wrapped his arms tight around her waist, lifting her off her feet. He looked over at the others, smiling, but looking more terrified than anyone had ever seen. Brick's eyes widened questioningly, and Bubbles gave him confused, puppy dog eyes. Buttercup let go and she and Butch stared at each other once more.

"I…" Buttercup began, the words waiting to jump off her lips. "You're going back with me, then?"

"I really don't have anywhere else to go anyway," Butch said with a shrug. "And I was going to in the first place."

"Great! We gotta go then!" Buttercup rushed toward her sisters. She embraced Blossom quickly, and then embraced Bubbles. She let go and looked at Bubbles.

"I know you're into that shit, so if you wanna plan it, go right ahead," she told her, patting her on the shoulder. Bubbles' face had not changed, so she just looked at Buttercup, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Plan what?"

"The baby shower!" Buttercup laughed. She jumped back to Butch and nodded her head. "Ready to go?"

"Baby shower?" Bubbles repeated.

Butch nodded his head and looked back at his brothers. He waved.

"Baby shower?" Brick repeated incredulously.

"We'll see you guys later!" Buttercup called back. "I'll call you, he'll call you, we'll keep in touch. Bye!"

"Bye!" Butch called weakly. Buttercup grabbed his hand, and the two blasted off into the air, two green streaks zipping through the sky and far away.

"We are so fucked," Brick said, his eyes still wide.

"I think it's time to go!" Blossom said cheerfully. "Brick, keep in touch. Boomer, see you later." She stepped to Bubbles and gave her a big hug. She let go and whispered to her. "This should be interesting."

"Another adventure," Bubbles laughed.

"Another adventure," Blossom agreed.

With a quick wave to the others, Blossom jumped in the air and zoomed off in the same direction as Butch and Buttercup. Brick sighed and nodded to both Bubbles and his brother.

"Take care, dude," he said. "See you sometime, Bubbles."

With that, he pushed off the ground and headed north, spiraling out of sight. Boomer turned to Bubbles. He shuffled his foot. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bubbles beat him.

"You ready for another adventure?" she asked. Boomer shrugged.

"Not quite yet, honestly, but um, I guess so."

"Good!" she hugged him again very fast. "I'll see you this summer then! Call me! My number's on your hand!" Then she took a running start and zoomed off back to her apartment. Boomer looked at his hand, where mysteriously, Bubbles's number had appeared out of nowhere. He laughed to himself, and then looked back at her streak, now fading into the blue sky.

He took one more look at the Utonium house, and then looked back into the sky. He stepped into the air, and floated several meters above the ground. He looked around at the city of Townsville, which looked absolutely no different than any other time he looked at it from this distance. A strange idea, that time can go by so fast and so much can happen, yet so much stays exactly the same. What was there to do, then? Where can he go now?

Maybe he _was_ ready for another adventure after all.


	31. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

…otherwise known as a giant author's note, masquerading as an epilogue. 

So now that I've finished writing the ROUGH DRAFT of this fanfiction, there are several things I'd like to say.

There are some glaring plotlines I forgot, forego-ed, and fucked up altogether. I'm aware that I forgot some things like the "Him-dar" shit and the boys' birthday (which is definitely NOT THE SAME as the Powerpuff Girls… duh.) and SO much more. I will fix them if I choose to hardcore edit this story later. I'll answer questions, though, because it'll benefit me and you. ^_^

I know my grammar was not perfect, and I know for a fact some of my mistakes were rather humorous ("Boomer rubbed his aching…" wha?! It was his stomach, by the way.) I guess many of us skipped stuff like that in the editing process. We're human, and this isn't professional. XD

I will admit now that I wrote this story with more of a purpose than having a story to tell. See, there's a lot of Powerpuff Girls fanfiction, right? Well, there's a lot of good stuff, and a lot of bad stuff. Some people are highly critical of RRB/PPG pairings in particular, but to be fair, some of the worst ones are in fact RRB/PPG pairings. X__X So I wanted to write a valid story, to prove to the snobs that there CAN be a decent/good RRB/PPG story, and to prove to the, well, newbies that you don't need constant lemons/fluff/high school/etc. for your story to be good. Now, before people think I'm a bitch, let me clarify that I don't think highly of myself or my writing. From the gaping plotholes to the ridiculous grammar mistakes, clearly I'm not that great of an author. But it's not that difficult to tell a good story, guys, and it breaks my heart to see some good stories plummet because of AWFUL grammar, or just too much distracting sex and bullshit to be readable. AAAAAAAND, just because it's RRB/PPG, doesn't mean it can't possibly be a good story. XP

Last but not least, I do have an announcement: yes, there will be a sequel. But I need much more time to develop it, so you probably won't see much of it until later this year at the earliest. It's called "Unbridled," and the deviantart people can view the two pictures in the Unbridled folder (for FFN people: search "powerpuff30days" at deviantart, and you should find it).

In the mean time, I'd appreciate all the criticism, questions, and comments you can dish to me. It helps me learn and develop as a writer, and since I do plan on being one, I need all the help I can get.

Thank you all for reading, though, and a special thanks to all the people who edited for me. And an even bigger thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue, because God knows I wouldn't have if no one did.

Catch you later.

~~ Hermeown


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